Europe’s hottest summer triggers record heat stress

Europe grappled with record-breaking heat stress during an unusually early and intense summer, according to the EU's climate monitor. Covering 52% of the continent, the extreme temperatures shattered records and resulted in thousands of excess deaths, according to Samantha Burgess, climate lead at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

The summer was the continent's third warmest on record and the hottest for western Europe, with several countries setting all-time temperature highs. Four of the top 10 heatwaves in Europe occurred during this summer alone, with August 2003 still ranking as the most severe. Throughout the season, 80% of Europe experienced strong heat stress, characterized by feels-like temperatures exceeding 32C, on a record 41 days.

Heat stress, which occurs when the body's cooling systems are overwhelmed, poses significant health risks, ranging from dizziness and headaches to organ failure and death. The summer underscored how heat stress is becoming increasingly widespread and persistent, serving as the leading cause of weather-related mortality globally.

Dry conditions further exacerbated the situation, leading to the lowest river flows since 1992 and disrupting transport and power generation. By August, drought had affected nearly half of Europe, marking a troubling trend over the past 45 years of increasing drought conditions in the region.