28/06/2026 22:55 - Internacionales
Europe is experiencing the most challenging summer in its modern history. With more than 1,300 excess deaths related to high temperatures since June 21 and 150 million people living under extreme heat, the continent faces an unprecedented climate crisis that is transforming daily life and overwhelming infrastructure never designed for such conditions.
An analysis by World Weather Attribution covering 854 European cities revealed that nearly half have already exceeded or will surpass their all-time heat stress records this June. Countries like the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Luxembourg recorded unprecedented temperatures in 100% of their analyzed cities.
| City | Temperature Recorded |
|---|---|
| Pissos (France) | 44.3°C (111.7°F) |
| Paris (France) | 40°C (104°F) |
| Berlin (Germany) | 39.9°C (103.8°F) |
| London (UK) | Nearly 40°C (104°F) |
Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, a climate scientist at the Australian National University, described it as "nothing short of phenomenal" that London is approaching 40°C during heatwaves lasting four or five days—something that was once an absolute rarity.
Europe is warming at a rate of 0.56°C per decade since the mid-1990s—exactly double the global average—surpassed only by the Arctic. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, stated clearly: "Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth."
The WMO confirmed that 2025 was among the three warmest years ever recorded, with a global temperature 1.44°C above the 1850-1900 average. 2024 was the hottest year in history, making the 2023-2025 period the warmest triennium ever documented.
Scientists have identified multiple factors explaining the intensity of European heatwaves:
Hot air transported from the equator northward, trapped over Europe when North Atlantic temperatures drop.
Global warming dries the soil, reducing evaporative cooling capacity.
Decreased cloud cover allows solar heat to reach the surface unobstructed.
Erich Fischer, a researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), compared the situation to a high jump: "The record is being broken by half a meter, not by one or two centimeters."
Heat stress particularly affects communities whose infrastructure was never designed for such temperatures. "European homes, workplaces, and schools were not built for these temperatures," warned the WHO's Tedros.
The "urban heat island" phenomenon in densely built cities without adequate greenery prevents nighttime thermal recovery, increasing risks of heatstroke, dehydration, and kidney, heart, or respiratory problems.
Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, was blunt: "Heatwaves are here to stay until we turn off the tap on global emissions. They are more frequent, more intense, and last longer."
Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist at Berkeley Earth, added: "Since 1980 there has been a huge jump in European global temperatures. It's quite evident in the data."
The WHO calls for coordinated responses and specific action plans that trigger preventive interventions when weather alerts are issued. Recommendations include:
Sources: World Meteorological Organization (WMO), World Health Organization (WHO), Copernicus Climate Change Service, World Weather Attribution, Nature journal, Berkeley Earth.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
