Record-breaking temperatures across Europe over the past week have tested long-standing heat resilience measures, particularly in France. Dozens of deaths have been reported amid the continent's second heat wave in two months.
France began building its heat adaptation system after more than 14,800 people died in 2003 when temperatures stayed above 95 degrees Fahrenheit for two weeks. The 2004 national plan introduced a four-tier alert system, crisis centers, cooling spaces, and checks on vulnerable residents. Cities later added trees, shaded paths, and public cooling centers, though only about 25 percent of households have air conditioning.
Over the past week, Paris temperatures exceeded 103 degrees Fahrenheit, and France recorded its highest average temperatures ever. More than 40 people drowned in France while trying to cool off, many of them teenagers. Spanish officials estimated more than 200 heat-related deaths in the same period.
Europe, the world's fastest-warming continent, issued heat alerts in more than a dozen countries. Officials urged residents to stay indoors during peak hours and avoid strenuous activity.
Ladd Keith, an associate professor at the University of Arizona, noted that cities remain focused on current heat levels rather than future extremes projected under climate change.
