Europe is experiencing an unusually hot summer, with heatwaves, drought and wildfires affecting countries across the continent. The article argues that the disruption illustrates how extreme heat is becoming a more serious public-health, environmental and economic challenge, and why governments must prepare for more frequent severe weather.

High temperatures have strained transport and energy systems, damaged crops and worsened fire risks, while vulnerable people face the greatest health danger. The wider context is a warming climate: Europe is heating faster than the global average, making formerly exceptional summer conditions increasingly likely.