Europe is experiencing record-breaking temperatures surpassing 40 degrees Celsius this week. Some areas in Spain and Portugal have even been hotter than the Sahara Desert. Authorities are advising people to stay indoors, schools have shut down, wildfires are spreading, and nuclear power plants are reducing output due to rivers being too warm for effective cooling. The extreme heat in Europe has already caused 1,300 deaths since June 21st, according to the World Health Organization.
Traditionally, Europe’s infrastructure, including cities, homes, and tourism, was designed under the assumption that summers would be warm but manageable. However, this assumption is rapidly changing as the climate shifts. The Guardian’s Europe environment correspondent, Ajit Niranjan, discusses the implications of an entire continent realizing it was built for a climate that no longer exists.
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