This Year's European Heat Was So Extreme That Climate Change Made It Real

Scientists analyzed this year's extreme heat across Europe and concluded it almost certainly wouldn't have happened without climate change warming the planet. When Europe endured a similarly intense heatwave in 2003, it was roughly 2 degrees cooler. Because that 2003 event killed tens of thousands and has guided health planning for twenty years, this new reality—much hotter—means European cities must rethink how they protect people from deadly heat.