Malcolm Mistry woke up to a sunny Monday, fully aware it would get “very warm, very quickly.” His late start had him and his son arriving at the local cricket nets just as the sun climbed higher. After only half an hour of bowling, Mistry, a climate and health expert at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, felt his body pushing its limits. “I could feel I was panting a bit more heavily,” he said. He decided to stop before things could take a dangerous turn.
This moment serves as a reminder of the serious risks posed by extreme heat. Surprisingly, the impact of summer heat in Europe can be more deadly than we think. In 2024, it caused approximately three times more deaths than car accidents and 16 times more than homicides. Yet somehow, society doesn’t always treat this as a crisis.
This year’s scorching temperatures have hit Europe unusually early. Just before spring ended, the UK reported its hottest May temperature ever, with highs soaring to 35.1°C in west London. France recorded a staggering 37.1°C, activating its national heat warning for the first time in May since 2004.
Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, an environmental epidemiologist from Imperial College London, estimates an additional 250 heat-related deaths in England and Wales over this recent warm weekend. “Early-season heatwaves are hazardous because our bodies haven’t had a chance to acclimatize,” he explained.
The current heatwave’s cause is an area of high pressure that traps heat. This scenario has become more common due to climate change, which is making extreme temperatures all but inevitable. According to Peter Thorne, a climate scientist, the climate crisis has made these heatwaves more likely. “Many of the records being set are nothing short of mind-boggling,” he said. Simon Stiell, the UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, echoed these concerns, attributing the worsening heat to our reliance on fossil fuels.
Farmers are also sounding alarms. In the Netherlands, a regional group is warning about the stress from prolonged heat and drought. Meanwhile, young farmers in Spain say extreme conditions could spell disaster for cereal crops.
As we move deeper into 2024, the return of El Niño—an influential weather pattern—might exacerbate the situation. Scientists anticipate it could lead to even higher temperatures later this year. But as Thorne points out, what’s important isn’t just El Niño; it’s our shifting climate overall. “Think of it like gambling,” he said. “You might win this time, but the house always wins in the end.”
We’re faced with a new reality of increased climate extremes. Understanding and adapting to this changing world is essential. For more in-depth data on climate trends, check out NASA.
