Built for cold, battered by heat, summer is bringing Europe to its knees

Europe's record-breaking early summer heatwave has claimed more than 1,300 lives, overwhelming hospitals and mortuaries as countries begin to assess the full human cost of the extreme weather.

The soaring temperatures have also triggered a rush for air conditioners, exposing how homes across much of the continent are ill-equipped to cope with prolonged periods of extreme heat

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said more than 1,300 deaths linked to high temperatures have been recorded across Europe since June 21.


Also Read: Record heatwave disrupts Europe as France warns death toll to rise

"Heat stress is often called the 'silent killer', and European homes, workplaces and schools were not built for these temperatures," Tedros said in a post on X, as temperatures continued to shatter records across Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic over the weekend.

Homes not built for heat

The heatwave has also exposed a structural problem across Europe: much of its housing stock was designed to keep heat in rather than out. It has been predicted that 90% of UK homes will overheat by 2050, according to the National Housing Federation (NHF).

Residents are increasingly adapting their daily routines to cope with the heat. Abhinav Sen, a resident of Düsseldorf, Germany, said he worked from home throughout the week to avoid commuting in the extreme temperatures. "Because of the heat I make sure to go out either early in the morning or later in the evening, minimising time outside walking or in public transport that is not air conditioned," he said.

At home, Sen relies on simple cooling techniques rather than air conditioning. "I open my windows early in the morning and cool down the apartment before shutting them for the rest of the day and drawing the curtains. I still don't have AC but indoors with a fan, as long as your apartment isn't in the attic or always facing the sun, is still okay," he said.

Cooling comes at a cost

According to BBC reports, air-conditioning companies in the UK are reporting booming business.

Yet many Europeans remain reluctant to install air conditioners because of their high upfront costs and electricity bills. "I still don't have AC because it's expensive to buy and install. But I might buy a portable cooler," Sen said.

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Instead, many residents are turning to alternative ways to stay cool. Sen said he has been spending time at nearby lakes and swimming pools, preferring lakes because "the water is cooler."

The spike in demand comes despite higher electricity prices across Europe making cooling more expensive to run. While many homes in southern Europe were traditionally designed with thick walls, smaller windows and natural ventilation to cope with summer heat, much of the continent's housing and public infrastructure is increasingly proving inadequate for prolonged periods of extreme temperatures.

The human toll has been especially severe in France, one of the countries worst affected by the heatwave.

According to AP, preliminary estimates from Public Health France showed daily deaths rose sharply during the peak of the heatwave last week. More than 1,200 people died on Wednesday, when France registered its hottest day on record, with deaths climbing to over 1,400 on both Thursday and Friday, compared with a normal daily average of around 900-1,000.

The agency estimated at least 1,000 excess deaths during those three days alone, cautioning that the figure is likely to rise as more death certificates from homes and elderly care facilities are processed.

Around 85% of the recorded deaths involved people aged 65 and above, while deaths at home increased by nearly 40%, particularly in the Paris region, according to AP.

The surge in fatalities also overwhelmed funeral infrastructure. AP reported that mortuaries in Paris rapidly ran out of storage space, forcing city authorities to install temporary refrigerated units while hospitals added extra capacity.

Heatwave disrupts daily life

The extreme weather has also disrupted public life. According to BBC reports, Paris cancelled the city's Pride march and temporarily banned takeaway alcohol sales in public to ease pressure on emergency services. France has also recorded at least 74 drowning deaths since the heatwave began, with most occurring in unsupervised rivers, lakes and ponds.

Meteorologists have attributed the record-breaking temperatures to a "heat dome" , a weather pattern that traps hot air near the surface while suppressing cloud formation, allowing uninterrupted sunshine to drive temperatures even higher.