Burning point: Climate change and escalating heatwaves

Europe is the fastest-warming continent on the planet

A woman fans herself in Barcelona, Spain last month. Picture: AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti

Europe is sweltering. Summer has just begun and we’re already seeing record-breaking heatwaves sweep across the continent. Temperatures have surged past 44°C in parts of Spain, Portugal, Italy, and France. Portugal and Spain recorded their hottest June ever.

What’s causing this escalation in extreme heat? The short answer is human-induced climate change. But the full picture reveals how human-driven warming, shifting atmospheric patterns, and parched landscapes are combining to produce longer, hotter, and more dangerous heatwaves than Europe has ever seen.