[1] https://digitalreport.protectedplanet.net/ [2] Satellite sea surface temperature measurements began in 1982; ocean heat content estimates are derived from in situ observations that started in 1960. [3] https://marine.copernicus.eu/osr9-summary/flipbook/ [4] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/world/europe/spain-beach-blue-dragon-sea-slugs.html#:~:text=The%20arrival%20of%20the%20tiny,what%20they’re%20dealing%20with. [5] https://marine.copernicus.eu/osr9-summary/flipbook/ [6] https://marine.copernicus.eu/osr9-summary/flipbook/

BRUSSELS — Climate change is already costing Europe dearly. This summer’s droughts, heat waves and floods will cost the European Union an estimated €43 billion this year, knocking nearly half a percentage point off the region’s economic output, according to a study published Monday.  The same study estimated that the cumulative damage to the European economy will reach about €126 billion by 2029. “These estimates are likely conservative,” said the authors of the study, Sehrish Usman of the University of Mannheim, and Miles Parker and Mathilde Vallat, economists at the European Central Bank. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent as greenhouse gases warm the world. In 2024, natural disasters, including catastrophic flooding in Spain, destroyed assets worth $31 billion in Europe, according to the insurance company MunichRe. “Climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events like floods, droughts, heat waves, wildfires, and all of this is contributing to the rising economic cost for the European regions,” Usman said at an event in Brussels on Monday. The study included physical damage to buildings and infrastructure as well as impact on worker productivity and efficiency, and spillover effects on other parts of the economy. It did not include damage from wildfires that burned more than 1 million hectares in Europe this year. “These events are not just temporary shocks,” said Usman. “They manifest their impacts over time.” Floods can disrupt supply chains. Droughts can cripple agricultural yields. “Initially, this is just a heat wave,” she said. “But it affects your efficiency, it reduces your labor productivity.” Droughts were the most damaging, causing an estimated €29.4 billion of loss to the EU this summer. Heat waves and floods caused damages of €6.8 billion and €6.5 billion, respectively. Southern Europe, a region particularly vulnerable to climate change, was hit hardest. Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Bulgaria suffered losses of more than 1 percent of their economic output. “Denmark, Sweden, Germany show relatively lower damages but the frequency and magnitude of these events, especially floods, are also increasing across these regions,” the researchers wrote. The findings come just after climate scientists reported that global warming made a heat wave in July in Norway, Sweden and Finland 2 degrees Celsius hotter than it would have otherwise been. Scientists have also calculated that wildfires in Spain and Portugal were made 40 times more likely by climate change.

BRUSSELS — Climate change supercharged last week’s European heat wave and tripled the death toll, a group of scientists said Wednesday.  Extreme temperatures baked large swaths of the continent in late June and early July, exposing millions of Europeans to dangerous levels of heat.  Looking at 12 European cities, the researchers found that in 11 of them, heat waves of the type that peaked last week would have been significantly less intense — between 2 to 4 degrees Celsius cooler — in a world without man-made global warming.  This climate-induced change in temperatures, the scientists said, led to a surge in excess deaths in those cities. Of the 2,300 additional fatalities linked to high temperatures, around 1,500 of them can be attributed to global warming, they estimated.  “Climate change is an absolute game changer when it comes to extreme heat,” said Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London, which co-led the research.  A construction worker in Italy and a street cleaner in Spain were among those thought to have died of heat stroke last week. But most heat-related deaths, particularly among the elderly, go unreported. The scientists said the vast majority of deaths they analyzed occurred among Europeans aged 65 or older.  As a result, heat is often dubbed a “silent killer,” though it’s no less deadly than other climate-related disasters. The scientists noted that last week’s heat wave killed more people than devastating flood events in recent years, which resulted in several hundred deaths.  “Our study is only a snapshot of the true death toll linked to climate change-driven temperatures across Europe, which may have reached into the tens of thousands,” said Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, also a climate specialist at Imperial College London. Global warming, driven by burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, is increasing the severity and frequency of heat waves in Europe and worldwide. An aging population also makes Europe more vulnerable to the health effects of extreme temperatures.  The European Environment Agency has warned that heat-related deaths are expected to increase tenfold if the planet warms 1.5 C, and thirtyfold at 3 C. The planet is already 1.3 C hotter than in preindustrial times and on track to warm 2.7 C this century.  THE TOLL OF EXTREME HEAT The rapid analysis published Wednesday — which uses methods considered scientifically reliable but has not undergone peer review  — was led by researchers at Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.  The scientists looked at deaths in Milan (where they estimated 317 fatalities were due to changes in the climate), Barcelona (286), Paris (235), London (171), Rome (164), Madrid (108), Athens (96), Budapest (47), Zagreb (31), Frankfurt (21), Lisbon (also 21) and the Sardinian city of Sassari (six) between June 23 and July 2.  “These numbers represent real people that have lost their lives in the last days due to the extreme heat. Two-thirds of these would not have died were it not for climate change,” said Otto.  Last week’s heat also drove up wildfire risk across Europe, with fires still raging in many parts of the continent. The analysis does not include deaths linked to fire or smoke. In Spain, for example, two farmers were killed trying to flee encroaching flames last week.  The Spanish government separately monitors heat-related excess deaths and found that between June 21 and July 2, more than 450 people died due to extreme temperatures — 73 percent more than in the same period in 2022, which saw record numbers of deaths.  WESTERN EUROPE’S HOTTEST JUNE The EU’s Copernicus climate monitoring service, meanwhile, said Wednesday morning that last month was the third-hottest June on record worldwide.  For Europe, it was the fifth-warmest June, though the western part of the continent saw its hottest June on record, the scientists said — just above the 2003 record, which was followed by a summer marked by deadly heat.  The temperatures in Europe are further amplified by what Copernicus terms an “exceptional” marine heat wave in the Mediterranean Sea. The water surface temperatures have hit their highest level on record, not just for June but for any month.  “June 2025 saw an exceptional heat wave impact large parts of western Europe, with much of the region experiencing very strong heat stress. This heatwave was made more intense by record sea surface temperatures in the western Mediterranean,” said Samantha Burgess, strategic climate lead at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.  “In a warming world, heat waves are likely to become more frequent, more intense and impact more people across Europe,” she added.  Cory Bennett contributed to this report. 

First published on CagleCartoons.com, June 29, 2025 | By Christopher Weyant First published on CagleCartoons.com, June 25, 2025 | By Graeme MacKay First published on CagleCartoons.com, July 2, 2025 | By Michael de Adder

If you’ve had to attend an outdoor event — or, worse still, an indoor event with no air conditioning — during the heat wave that has gripped much of Europe this week, you’ve probably regretted it. Spare a thought for attendees of a groundbreaking ceremony for a medical facility just outside Ljubljana, Slovenia, which was held in a giant, sweltering tent. Before Prime Minister Robert Golob, bravely wearing a buttoned-up suit and tie, took to the stage, organizers announced medics were on hand to deal with emergencies. Meanwhile, in Sintra, Portugal, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde began her organization’s annual research conference by imploring guests to drink plenty of water and to avoid overloading the medical center. It’s not just conferences and events that have been suffering; so have tourists. The Eiffel Tower was partially closed due to high temperatures, as was Brussels’ iconic Atomium. While most event planners have been begging people to stay hydrated, we commend those coming up with outside-the-hotbox solutions. Sweltering journalists in the greenhouse-like atrium at last week’s European Council summit in Brussels were given ice creams — a trick repeated in Belgium’s Merksplas prison, where aging infrastructure has left inmates overheated. The reason people are so worried is that the heat can be deadly. Slovenia will experience a high level of excess deaths due to the heat; Portugal recorded its highest-ever June temperature (46.6 degrees Celsius) on Tuesday; and in Belgium, the average temperature in June was 2.6 degrees higher than average. Temperatures in Brussels reached 35 degrees on Thursday. AIRCON POLITICS France has numerous regions on red alert for heat, over 1,000 schools closed, and an elevated risk of wildfires. Prime Minister François Bayrou attended a crisis meeting about the heat on Tuesday. It’s perhaps fitting, then, that there’s a heated debate raging about air conditioning. The far-right National Rally’s Marine Le Pen said there should be a plan to install more aircon around the country, and railed against “so-called elites” who already benefit from it. “It’s crazy to tell families to stop working from one day to the next because schools can’t take our kids anymore, while telling them to go to the local movie theater, which is air-conditioned,” she said on X. Agnès Pannier-Runacher, minister for ecological transition, fired back, saying that aircon is an “inadequate adaptation,” pointing out that it is overall a net generator of heat. Air conditioning contributes significantly to climate change. Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, and it is poorer people who suffer the most during heat waves. They’re not the most likely to benefit from an expansion in use of air conditioning, though, according to Carsten Schneider, Germany’s environment minister. “Heat makes the social imbalance particularly noticeable,” Schneider said Tuesday. “Those with less money are less able to protect themselves from the effects of the heat. Those with a lot of money can afford air conditioning or a cooling garden.” Mari Eccles, Geoffrey Smith, Sonya Angelica Diehn, Gabriel Gavin, Hanne Cokelaere and Laura Hülsemann contributed to this report.

The summit of Paris’s iconic Eiffel Tower has been closed to visitors because of the punishing heat wave sweeping across France and the rest of Europe. “Due to the current heatwave, the Eiffel Tower is taking measures to ensure the comfort and safety of our visitors and staff,” said a statement on the attraction’s website, adding that the summit will be closed all day Tuesday and Wednesday. Access to the first and second floors remains open, but staff are urging visitors without pre-booked tickets to postpone their visits. Temperatures in Paris are expected to reach 36 degrees Celsius this week, with parts of southern France soaring to 40 degrees. The French government has issued high-level heat wave alerts across 84 areas. Completed in 1889 for the World’s Fair in Paris, the Eiffel Tower was originally intended as a temporary structure but it quickly became a national symbol and is now one of the most visited monuments in the world. On Monday, French far-right leader Marine Le Pen criticized the government’s handling of the crisis, calling for “a major air conditioning equipment plan” and claiming ordinary citizens are left to endure the heat while “so-called French elites” remain in climate-controlled environments. The weather has also impacted other European landmarks. In Belgium, the Atomium in Brussels has reduced its visiting hours because of the heat.

PARIS — Air conditioning isn’t the key to address ever-more-intense heat waves, France’s minister for ecological transition said Tuesday in response to the far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen’s proposal for a “major air conditioning equipment plan.” “Our issue with air conditioning concerns heating,” Agnès Pannier-Runacher explained, calling air conditioning an “inadequate adaptation” to rising temperatures. “When you cool a room, you need heat to obtain the cold — which means you’re necessarily heating another area,” the French official told reporters. “You’re heating up the streets, which increases hot spots.” A 2020 study on air conditioning use in Paris underlined that “if AC systems release heat into the street, as is most often the case, the outside air is warmed and the heat wave worsens,” with an impact of several degrees Celsius depending on how widespread the use is. “Although it is an efficient solution for households that can afford it, AC makes the situation worse for households who cannot or do not want to adopt it,” the study published in the Environmental Research Letters scientific journal added. The French have not traditionally been big fans of air conditioning, but the number of French households installing cooling systems is growing. In a post on X on Monday, Le Pen accused the government of forcing ordinary people to suffer the heat while the “so-called French elites” benefit from air conditioning. Frédéric Falcon, a lawmaker from Le Pen’s National Rally, said that his party’s goal is to install air conditioners “as widely as possible, in administrations, schools, retirement homes and private homes.” French authorities have supported supplying strategic buildings and public transport with cooling systems but prioritized other ways of keeping temperatures down that do not emit greenhouse gasses, like planting more trees and better insulating buildings. The night from Monday to Tuesday was the warmest on record, according to France’s weather service, and Tuesday is expected to be “one of the 10 warmest days ever recorded in France,” with maximum temperatures of up to 41 degrees Celsius in the capital city of Paris. Giorgio Leali and Aude Le Gentil contributed to this report.

EUROPE HEAT WAVE IN PICTURES Europe is sweltering under one of the most intense heat waves ever, with temperatures well above 40 °C across much of the continent. Thibaud Moritz/AFP via Getty Images From scorched plains in Spain to shuttered schools in Paris, the extreme heat has triggered red alerts, wildfires, and widespread disruption. As health officials issue urgent warnings and governments scramble to respond, this blistering start to July raises fresh alarm about the accelerating impact of climate change in Europe. A rare “roll cloud” advances from the horizon toward the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean near Cabo da Roca, southwestern Portugal. | Arthur Carvalho/AFP via Getty Images -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Experts warn that the intense heatwave reflects the mounting impact of climate change. | Julie Sebadelha, Jeff Pachoud, Gabriel Bouys, Milos Bicanski/AFP via Getty Images Emma Raducanu cools off with a towel full of ice during a break between sets in her first-round match against Mimi Xu on day one of the Wimbledon tennis championship. | Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Zoo animals cool off as temperatures reach over 40 °C in Sofia, Bulgaria. | Nikolay Doychinov/AFP via Getty Images  A firefighter extinguishes burning hay bales in Lower Saxony, Germany. / Julian Stratenschulte/picture alliance via Getty Images  A thermometer shows the temperature rising towards 40°C as Belgium faces an intense heatwave, prompting the Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) to issue an orange alert across the country between July 1-3, warning of potentially dangerous heat levels. | Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images

PARIS — Marine Le Pen doesn’t want the French to sweat, whether it’s over the rise of the far right or the mercury climbing up their thermometers. “It is high time that France rolled out a major air-conditioning equipment plan,” the French far-right leader said Monday, as France and the rest of Europe suffer through a major heat wave. The dangerously warm temperatures, forecast to hit 36 degrees Celsius in Paris and as high as 40C in some places, have prompted the government to place an unprecedented 84 departments under heat wave warnings. In a post on X, Le Pen struck while the iron — and everything else — was hot, turning the lack of air conditioning into a political issue. She accused the government of forcing ordinary people to suffer the heat while the “so-called French elites” benefit from air conditioning. “It’s crazy to tell families to stop working from one day to the next because schools can’t take our kids anymore, while telling them to go to the local movie theater, which is air-conditioned,” she said on X. Frédéric Falcon, a lawmaker from Le Pen’s National Rally, said that his party’s goal was to install air conditioners “as widely as possible, in administrations, schools, retirement homes and private homes.” “We are way behind Southern Europe, including the South of France,” he said. Europe has less air conditioning coverage than countries like the United States and Japan, but climate change has made it the fastest-warming continent on the planet. The French have not traditionally being big fans of air conditioning, but the number of French households installing cooling systems is growing. The French government has worked hard to reduce nationwide electricity consumption since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent energy crisis, and invest more in nuclear power. In terms of air conditioning, French authorities have supported supplying strategic buildings and public transport with cooling systems, but are prioritizing other ways of keeping temperatures down that do not emit greenhouse gasses, such as planting more trees, better insulating buildings and developing more innovative options such as the geothermal cooling system supplied to the Olympic Village.