Europe’s Cities Should Prepare for Hotter, More Hazardous Days Ahead

Europe is the world’s fastest warming continent, which is severely impacting cities and leading to tens of thousands of deaths, rising hospitalizations, school closures and people adjusting their lives to avoid inhospitable outdoor conditions. 

The oppressive heat is being felt across the continent from cities along the Mediterranean, to cities in Northern European cities, where homes are primarily designed to withstand cold seasons. London, for example, faced a record-breaking temperature of 40 degrees C (104 degrees F) in July 2022, triggering widespread fires and marking the London Fire Brigade’s busiest day since World War II.

Europe is currently on a trajectory that could see a rise of approximately 3.1 degrees C (5.6 degrees F) of warming above pre-industrial levels by 2100, unless significant actions are taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according the most recent UN Emissions Gap Report. Temperatures for August, and throughout much of 2024, already exceeded 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F) above pre-industrial levels, a threshold that scientists warn will bring more dangerous impacts from climate change.