Europe

Fossil fuel emissions have rapidly worsened European heatwaves in just a few decades

A person uses an umbrella to keep cool during a heatwave in London, England. June 22 2026. The UK’s Met Office issued a rare red extreme heat warning across parts of the country for this week.

Just weeks after a severe heatwave that broke all-time May records, Europe is experiencing another major heatwave that is breaking June and annual records. This is particularly remarkable given that June is not historically the hottest month in Western Europe. Across France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and southern England, temperatures are reaching 5–12°C above seasonal averages, … Continue reading “Fossil fuel emissions have rapidly worsened European heatwaves in just a few decades”

Increasingly severe rainstorms put people and structures built on floodplains at risk

Since 16 January, nine named storms have battered the western Mediterranean, with Spain, Portugal and Morocco hardest hit.  In Spain, flooding and infrastructure damage from heavy winds forced over 12,400 evacuations, affected 115,000 people in 19 villages in the Sierra de Cádiz, and led the Spanish Government to commit more than €7 billion in aid, … Continue reading “Increasingly severe rainstorms put people and structures built on floodplains at risk”