This week, temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius across much of Europe, surpassing even the Sahara Desert in parts of Spain and Portugal. Government advisories urge citizens to remain indoors as schools shut down and wildfires continue to spread. Due to rising river temperatures, nuclear reactors have scaled back operations. The World Health Organization reports that over 1,300 deaths in Europe can be attributed to the heatwave since June 21st.

For decades, Europe’s infrastructure and lifestyle were built under the assumption that summers would be warm but manageable. However, this paradigm is now shifting as the climate evolves. Ajit Niranjan, The Guardian’s Europe environment correspondent, discusses the implications of an entire continent grappling with the reality that it was designed for a climate that is rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

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