Severe summer heat waves fueled by climate change are straining infrastructure, shutting down schools, and causing hundreds of deaths across Europe and South Asia as temperatures exceed 45 degrees Celsius.
An estimated 94 million people in Europe have faced temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius, including a record-breaking June temperature of 36.1 degrees Celsius in southern England.
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The extreme heat has resulted in over 250 direct and indirect deaths in the region over one week, while a separate heat dome in western and central Europe claimed at least 13 lives.
Lack of Air Conditioning Worsens Crisis
The lack of air conditioning across Europe has intensified the crisis, with only 6 percent of German households utilizing cooling systems.
According to data from the European Environment Agency and the think-tank Ember Energy, heavy reliance on air conditioning can exacerbate the urban heat island effect by transferring indoor heat to dense outdoor city spaces.
In Berlin, residents faced temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius, prompting business closures, train cancellations, and multiple drownings in local rivers.
Severine Le Beuzit, a 54-year-old resident of Berlin, expressed her exhaustion with ongoing tropical nights.
"No, I'm not sleeping well, but I don't think I'm the only one," said Le Beuzit. She described the persistent lack of nighttime relief as unbearable.
Power Grids Under Pressure
The extreme weather has disrupted European power supplies, lowering wind speeds for turbines and reducing cooling water available for French nuclear plants, driving up wholesale electricity prices.
