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If you haven’t heard, Europe is currently melting.
The UK just recorded its highest ever June temperature while France registered its hottest day since records began. Schools are closed, people have resorted to sleeping outside because their homes have turned into ovens, and folks on social media are frying eggs on their balconies in the glaring sun.
Below, we’ve rounded up photos of how everyone is coping during this brutal heatwave. Scroll down to see how it’s going out there. And remember to stay hydrated.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
In the middle of a heatwave, a water truck paused to spray water over stray dogs, giving them a moment of relief..
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#2
I'm bored of seeing people saying "buy an air con unit" when they cost more money than most people have spare.
I've used some old laminate underlay on the outside of my south facing window - the foil reflects the sun and the foam stops the glass ever heating up. It should help me keep the heat down during the day, plus I can still crack the window at night as it is stuck to the frame rather than the window itself. This stuff costs £20 from B&Q and you'll just need some gaffer tape to put it on.
Hope this helps someone!
The heatwave sweeping across Europe right now has the entire continent in a chokehold. More than 191 million people are facing temperatures of at least 35°C (95°F).
Extreme heat warnings have been issued across the region, and temperature records are being broken almost daily. These photos show just how wild it’s gotten.
#5
Germany, Czechia, Poland and Hungary all hit temperatures above 40°C (104°F) on Sunday. The UK broke its record for the hottest June day for a third consecutive day on Friday, reaching 37.3°C (99.1°F).
And in France, the town of Pissos in Landes reached 44.3°C (111.7°F), officially marking the hottest day in the country’s recorded history.
#9
It’s now time to normalise sleeping outside in summer!
TonjaLasagne 1 month ago
Ya gotta do what ya gotta do! This is very common in the southern part of the USA, which is why so many people have screened porches.
The human cost has been staggering. The World Health Organization (WHO) has linked the heatwave to more than 1,300 people losing their lives across Europe so far.
Some drowned while trying to cool off in water, while others were overwhelmed by health complications or got stuck in overheated cars. Even hospitals are struggling to stay cool, and some public transport has become unbearable.
#10
A bus driver in France crashed today because he fainted due to the heat having no AC in the bus
#11
Deep in suburbia, we find the noble Wheelie Bin Diver. In the UK heatwave, he's transformed his bin into a luxury plunge pool, cocktail in hand. But hubris strikes. Attempting his grand exit, gravity intervenes. The bin claims another. Nature always wins
TonjaLasagne 1 month ago
I have a pic of me when I was about 4 or 5 in a garbage can filled with water on a hot summer day. Ya do what ya gotta do!
#12
Just found a mole on my kitchen floor... Not entirely sure how it managed to get in tbh. Cant see any mole hills in the garden that it may have come from
The heatwave is being driven by a surge of hot, dry air from North Africa that has become trapped over parts of the continent, Time reports.
Weather systems on both sides are blocking it from moving on, essentially locking Europe under a dome of extreme heat. And according to climate experts, episodes like this are only going to get worse.
#13
Heavy crowds at the Canal Saint-Martin, transformed into a giant swimming pool as the heatwave continues in Paris.
Did I say that out loud? 1 month ago
And in the UK there have been yet more dèàths because of people getting into difficulty in open water.
#14
what the hell s going on ? 37C on my car dash today, 31C in my bedroom at 11.30pm, tar melting on roads, schools closing and…. tumbleweed?!
Heatwaves are becoming more intense and more frequent because of climate change. An April report from the Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization found that Europe is warming at twice the global average.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that what used to be a “once-in-a-generation” heatwave is now happening nearly every year. Last year was already the third hottest on record.
#17
Aluminum foil + water on the OUTSIDE of your windows reflects the sun and makes your apartment wayyyyy cooler
These temperatures might not sound extreme compared to hotter parts of the world, but for much of Europe they are genuinely dangerous. A lot of the continent’s infrastructure was never built for this.
Northern European homes were designed to trap warmth during cold winters, and in the UK, only about 5% of houses have air conditioning. Across Europe as a whole, roughly one-fifth of households have AC compared to 90% in the US.
#19
#20
#21
Did I say that out loud? 1 month ago
True. A few days with temperatures in the 30s °C and all the chillers and freezers in my local big Tesco have broken down.....again!
An aging population is making things even harder. Older people are more vulnerable to extreme heat because their bodies struggle to regulate temperature, and many already deal with underlying health conditions that make complications far more likely.
Hans Kluge, the WHO’s regional director for Europe, told Politico that the continent is still not prepared for what has become a recurring crisis. He said extreme heat is still being handled like a passing weather event, even though it has clearly become a long-term public health emergency.
#22
AtMostAFabulist 1 month ago
I saw on the news someone cooking bacon like this. Wonder if it's the same guy
MushroomHead22 1 month ago
did you see it on the news, or on social media?
Load More Replies...
Erin Whitty 1 month ago
I live in the Mojave Desert, we bake cookies and pizza in our cars here. frying an egg on the sidewalk is so last century lol. I lived in Europe for a while--all kidding aside, I feel so bad for them
#23
OneHappyPuppy 1 month ago
That looks like a spray bottle right there. Spraying something cool on a heated glass surface doesn't usually end well...
#24
The heatwave in France resulted in Paris' famous Seine River being flooded by hundreds of people in desperate need of cooling down.
On a more everyday level, people are doing whatever they can to get through it. In France, some have taken to swimming in city canals, while in Berlin, police turned water cannons into makeshift sprinklers to help people on the streets cool off. Even zoo animals across the continent are being given blocks of ice to play with.
Hopefully these brutal temperatures will ease up soon and governments across Europe will take this as a wake-up call. It’s really tough out there right now. Stay hydrated and wear sunscreen. And try to keep out of the sun however you can.
#25
This is the condition of trains in Europe .
Neither AC nor Fan is working .
#26
powerbank explosion in hot weather (45°C)
#27
The heatwave has melted my tablet. I was watching netflix on my tablet and the screen just popped off - seems the seal melted away !
#28
Fabulous chocolate cookie 1 month ago
In Germany I saw this as well. Some tar roads are melting or becoming sticky.
#31
David Morgan 1 month ago
I doubt it's the concrete melting - it doesn't melt, and only starts softening at over 1100 degrees C. Much more likely that the concrete is hot enough to melt a tiny fraction off the soles of the shoes, leaving a footprint.
#32
England is not equipped for this weather
Tim Fawcett 1 month ago
45 years of Thatcherite neo-liberalism means that England is not equipped for anything. But hey, the top 1% have done OK
#34
TheSubmissiveToe 1 month ago
Unless your power is out, why would your butter be melting INSIDE the fridge?
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What do you think ?
MiauMiau 1 month ago (edited)
In Spain. On Saturday I got heatstroke and thought I was going to d*e. I had to eat five ice creams in a row .I gave my cats some fish ice cream
Irishwoman abroad 1 week ago
I live here, and am pretty much used to the heat but this year, and the last two summers before, I've felt really sick and dizzy just from the heat, even indoors with a/c. It's scary just how hot it's been this year.
Load More Replies... pelemele 1 month ago (edited)
In France—because we’re so clever (sarcasm)—public authorities have spent years doing everything they can to discourage the installation of air conditioning for obscure ideological reasons; consequently, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, courthouses and public transport lack air conditioning. To top it all off, the Minister of Education refused to postpone end-of-year exams despite the heat, forcing students to take their tests in sweltering rooms where temperatures range from 35°C to 40°C (95 / 104°F). And then they talk to us about excess mortality due to the heat...
pelemele 1 month ago
It is also true that, until around the 2000s, we managed without air conditioning because heat spikes were rare and short-lived. Furthermore, older buildings with thick walls make installing air conditioning unnecessary. This view has hardened into a kind of dogma that refuses to acknowledge the obvious reality: heatwaves are becoming increasingly frequent, intense, and prolonged.
Load More Replies...
TheGreaterDebater 1 month ago
F**k this s**t. As a German, I've waited too long. I installed AC units after being against them for the longest time. I cannot deal with this anymore.
TheGreaterDebater 1 month ago (edited)
"But climate change-" F**K YOU. I DON'T GIVE A F**K ANYMORE WE ARE ALL GOING TO F*****G D*E ANYWAYS. WHAT MATTERS IS THE STATE OF MY FAMILY (WITH YOUNG CHILDREN AND ELDERLY PRESENT). IF WE DO NOT GET AC, SOME OF US MAY D*E!
Load More Replies... Becky Samuel 1 month ago
Remember everyone getting pressed because Just Stop Oil made it a little bit inconvenient for them getting to work? Tutting and whining online is how we got into this mess in the first place.
Chanda Woods 1 month ago
I feel awful because they're not equipped to handle it ☹️ it's 100°F heat index outside at 8:30pm here in Iowa, but we have AC and such. Hope they get relief soon!
Deborah B 1 month ago
I have those cooling gel pads intended for pets. Refrigerate, then either lie on one on the bed, or slip a small one between your back and the chair. Combined with a fan, this is what made the heat bearable for me. Also, a damp sarong or sheet wrapped over top of your clothes cools you a lot more than you might expect.
Goth Bear Cat 1 month ago
Thanks so much for sharing this, Deborah B. I hadn't known about cooling pads for pets and I just ordered one for my cats.. I'm sure they'll be thanking you, too!
Load More Replies...
David Paterson 1 month ago (edited)
Laughs in Australian. I used to see many of these in Sydney and Brisbane when I was growing up, and Sydney and Brisbane aren't even hot. The secrets for surviving a heatwave without air conditioning are: never leave the shade, never touch anything that's been in the Sun without protection, learn to love sweat, stand in a breeze.
Lazy Panda 2 1 month ago
Right. And do you have only six hours of night during which the temperatures don't drop so there's no cooling of houses? Do you have high humidity heat (85% where we were) that doesn't allow sweat to evaporate like it does in drier climates, so it's harder for the body to cool? Are your buildings designed to trap heat because cold remains a bigger killer than heat, so even when temperature drops it's hard to cool down? That's a no, no and no. I get it - plenty of countries are regularly hotter than us. But daytime heat is not equal in it's approach. Australia has decades of managing heat like this, and it's dry heat with night time cooling. Northern European heat is not the same, and we're all not equipped to deal with it through our infrastructure. So please, be a little more understanding.
Load More Replies...
CloPotato 1 month ago
It was so hot (41°C) on Tuesday that in the evening we heard two loud bangs: an electric transformer exploded (Rip Megatron lol). Cue 15h without electricity for 65000 houses (an additional 45000 had a shortage as well, but only for a few hours). On top of being in a sauna, all the food in my fridge turned bad. My flat is a boiler, it was even hotter than outside despite the emergency blankets on the windows. I also have the pleasure of a hormonal disbalance making me prone to hyperthermia. When we had a bit of rain on Thursday I went outside skimpily dressed just to feel the water on my skin, like a villager in Kirikou.
Gingersnap In Iowa 1 month ago
I feel for all of you pandas dealing with the heat. Here in Iowa we're under a heat index warning for the next week. The heat and humidity are making it unbearable. Check on your neighbors especially the elderly! Keep your pets cool and have plenty of water for them.
CrazyDogLady 1 month ago
The humidex was 48C here a couple of days ago (118F). I live in Canada, the “Great White North.”
Googoo Gaga 1 month ago
Canada is no summer temperature paradise. But they have climate control in public places. I now have central a/c in my private home, but grew up with noisy AC units in our windows. Europe needs to deal with the new reality and prepare for minimal a/c protection. Everyone should have at the least, standing fans at home for each bedroom. This is not the first lethal heatwave in Europe. Regarding the cost of running it, it is unlikely to break the bank for the amount of days you need it per year. My spouse is British and we have a house where he lives part time. He has two standing fans for sleeping. If not for selling next year, we would have installed pull down windows to accommodate window a/c units. When I lived in the middle east, electricity was, and is, crazy expensive, but everyone, everywhere has it. It was/is a life priority.
Dr max johnson md phd 1 month ago
Don’t worry. Only a hundred or so years until we exit this Ice Age
BrunoVI 1 month ago (edited)
Why do Europeans have no AC? We Americans be excessive about it, but when we were kids, my parents had a window unit. They used it only when the temperature at night stayed in the mid-80s (29C) or the daytime temperature would be in the high 90s (38C). We'd all just stay in the one room when we couldn't be in water. How many tens of thousands of lives could be saved each year?
Loosey Goosey 1 month ago (edited)
I can't speak for the rest of Europe, but in the UK it's an unnecessary expense when we only experience really hot weather a few days a year. It's back down to a manageable 23°c today where I am.
Load More Replies...
Millicent MacDonald 3 weeks ago
Australian here. We get this every year. It's about being prepared. Screens, and air con and fans, lots of fans.
Uncle Schmickle 1 month ago
As an Aussie, I'm familiar with heat, but we have AC in homes, shops, hotels, trains, buses, cars, etc. UK and Europe have very little, which I just can't understand. Maybe now they'll have a rethink ?
Doug Moyer 1 month ago
It doesn't get very hot here in coastal Southern California (USA). In 2022, it got up to 40 C on Labor Day weekend (first weekend in September). I loved it. I walked over 40 miles (65 km) over three days. Lovely. Saw a hummingbird panting for the first (and only time) that weekend. Little girl that liked to hang out on my balcony when I sat outside.
FranSinclair 1 month ago (edited)
First I was chuckling at you silly gooses when I converted C to F bc youre dropping New England Region temps (milder area) in the US but is it an air conditioning thing? I work in long sleeves and pants, in a kitchen when its 99°F outside (no ac) or people like construction...its uncomfortable but we dont get the day off for it. I wish we did tho! But usually heatwaves make us extra busy bc people dont want to cook at home. People dont stop moving when its in the 90s here...u get homies and head to water-pools, creeks, rivers. We'll have groups of 100s of rafters floating around
Lee Gilliland 1 month ago
In Virginia highway construction stops at 100°F. I think they're supposed to stop all construction but not all companies do.
Load More Replies... 
Mel 1 month ago (edited)
Historically, most of Europe never had the need for air conditioning units and the heat waves were never as brutal as they are these days. If you consider the construction of older houses, the insulation is also much better. In most countries, it's still seen as a luxury rather than necessity, which might change in upcoming years, but installing, maintaining and running it is still quite expensive here. And let's not forget that climate conditions are not the same - humidity makes SO much difference. Multiple days of swampy 40C take a toll on you.
Load More Replies...
MiauMiau 1 month ago (edited)
In Spain. On Saturday I got heatstroke and thought I was going to d*e. I had to eat five ice creams in a row .I gave my cats some fish ice cream
Irishwoman abroad 1 week ago
I live here, and am pretty much used to the heat but this year, and the last two summers before, I've felt really sick and dizzy just from the heat, even indoors with a/c. It's scary just how hot it's been this year.
Load More Replies... pelemele 1 month ago (edited)
In France—because we’re so clever (sarcasm)—public authorities have spent years doing everything they can to discourage the installation of air conditioning for obscure ideological reasons; consequently, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, courthouses and public transport lack air conditioning. To top it all off, the Minister of Education refused to postpone end-of-year exams despite the heat, forcing students to take their tests in sweltering rooms where temperatures range from 35°C to 40°C (95 / 104°F). And then they talk to us about excess mortality due to the heat...
pelemele 1 month ago
It is also true that, until around the 2000s, we managed without air conditioning because heat spikes were rare and short-lived. Furthermore, older buildings with thick walls make installing air conditioning unnecessary. This view has hardened into a kind of dogma that refuses to acknowledge the obvious reality: heatwaves are becoming increasingly frequent, intense, and prolonged.
Load More Replies... TheGreaterDebater 1 month ago
F**k this s**t. As a German, I've waited too long. I installed AC units after being against them for the longest time. I cannot deal with this anymore.
TheGreaterDebater 1 month ago (edited)
"But climate change-" F**K YOU. I DON'T GIVE A F**K ANYMORE WE ARE ALL GOING TO F*****G D*E ANYWAYS. WHAT MATTERS IS THE STATE OF MY FAMILY (WITH YOUNG CHILDREN AND ELDERLY PRESENT). IF WE DO NOT GET AC, SOME OF US MAY D*E!
Load More Replies... Becky Samuel 1 month ago
Remember everyone getting pressed because Just Stop Oil made it a little bit inconvenient for them getting to work? Tutting and whining online is how we got into this mess in the first place.
Chanda Woods 1 month ago
I feel awful because they're not equipped to handle it ☹️ it's 100°F heat index outside at 8:30pm here in Iowa, but we have AC and such. Hope they get relief soon!
Deborah B 1 month ago
I have those cooling gel pads intended for pets. Refrigerate, then either lie on one on the bed, or slip a small one between your back and the chair. Combined with a fan, this is what made the heat bearable for me. Also, a damp sarong or sheet wrapped over top of your clothes cools you a lot more than you might expect.
Goth Bear Cat 1 month ago
Thanks so much for sharing this, Deborah B. I hadn't known about cooling pads for pets and I just ordered one for my cats.. I'm sure they'll be thanking you, too!
Load More Replies... David Paterson 1 month ago (edited)
Laughs in Australian. I used to see many of these in Sydney and Brisbane when I was growing up, and Sydney and Brisbane aren't even hot. The secrets for surviving a heatwave without air conditioning are: never leave the shade, never touch anything that's been in the Sun without protection, learn to love sweat, stand in a breeze.
Lazy Panda 2 1 month ago
Right. And do you have only six hours of night during which the temperatures don't drop so there's no cooling of houses? Do you have high humidity heat (85% where we were) that doesn't allow sweat to evaporate like it does in drier climates, so it's harder for the body to cool? Are your buildings designed to trap heat because cold remains a bigger killer than heat, so even when temperature drops it's hard to cool down? That's a no, no and no. I get it - plenty of countries are regularly hotter than us. But daytime heat is not equal in it's approach. Australia has decades of managing heat like this, and it's dry heat with night time cooling. Northern European heat is not the same, and we're all not equipped to deal with it through our infrastructure. So please, be a little more understanding.
Load More Replies... CloPotato 1 month ago
It was so hot (41°C) on Tuesday that in the evening we heard two loud bangs: an electric transformer exploded (Rip Megatron lol). Cue 15h without electricity for 65000 houses (an additional 45000 had a shortage as well, but only for a few hours). On top of being in a sauna, all the food in my fridge turned bad. My flat is a boiler, it was even hotter than outside despite the emergency blankets on the windows. I also have the pleasure of a hormonal disbalance making me prone to hyperthermia. When we had a bit of rain on Thursday I went outside skimpily dressed just to feel the water on my skin, like a villager in Kirikou.
Gingersnap In Iowa 1 month ago
I feel for all of you pandas dealing with the heat. Here in Iowa we're under a heat index warning for the next week. The heat and humidity are making it unbearable. Check on your neighbors especially the elderly! Keep your pets cool and have plenty of water for them.
CrazyDogLady 1 month ago
The humidex was 48C here a couple of days ago (118F). I live in Canada, the “Great White North.”
Googoo Gaga 1 month ago
Canada is no summer temperature paradise. But they have climate control in public places. I now have central a/c in my private home, but grew up with noisy AC units in our windows. Europe needs to deal with the new reality and prepare for minimal a/c protection. Everyone should have at the least, standing fans at home for each bedroom. This is not the first lethal heatwave in Europe. Regarding the cost of running it, it is unlikely to break the bank for the amount of days you need it per year. My spouse is British and we have a house where he lives part time. He has two standing fans for sleeping. If not for selling next year, we would have installed pull down windows to accommodate window a/c units. When I lived in the middle east, electricity was, and is, crazy expensive, but everyone, everywhere has it. It was/is a life priority.
Dr max johnson md phd 1 month ago
Don’t worry. Only a hundred or so years until we exit this Ice Age
BrunoVI 1 month ago (edited)
Why do Europeans have no AC? We Americans be excessive about it, but when we were kids, my parents had a window unit. They used it only when the temperature at night stayed in the mid-80s (29C) or the daytime temperature would be in the high 90s (38C). We'd all just stay in the one room when we couldn't be in water. How many tens of thousands of lives could be saved each year?
Loosey Goosey 1 month ago (edited)
I can't speak for the rest of Europe, but in the UK it's an unnecessary expense when we only experience really hot weather a few days a year. It's back down to a manageable 23°c today where I am.
Load More Replies... Millicent MacDonald 3 weeks ago
Australian here. We get this every year. It's about being prepared. Screens, and air con and fans, lots of fans.
Uncle Schmickle 1 month ago
As an Aussie, I'm familiar with heat, but we have AC in homes, shops, hotels, trains, buses, cars, etc. UK and Europe have very little, which I just can't understand. Maybe now they'll have a rethink ?
Doug Moyer 1 month ago
It doesn't get very hot here in coastal Southern California (USA). In 2022, it got up to 40 C on Labor Day weekend (first weekend in September). I loved it. I walked over 40 miles (65 km) over three days. Lovely. Saw a hummingbird panting for the first (and only time) that weekend. Little girl that liked to hang out on my balcony when I sat outside.
FranSinclair 1 month ago (edited)
First I was chuckling at you silly gooses when I converted C to F bc youre dropping New England Region temps (milder area) in the US but is it an air conditioning thing? I work in long sleeves and pants, in a kitchen when its 99°F outside (no ac) or people like construction...its uncomfortable but we dont get the day off for it. I wish we did tho! But usually heatwaves make us extra busy bc people dont want to cook at home. People dont stop moving when its in the 90s here...u get homies and head to water-pools, creeks, rivers. We'll have groups of 100s of rafters floating around
Lee Gilliland 1 month ago
In Virginia highway construction stops at 100°F. I think they're supposed to stop all construction but not all companies do.
Load More Replies... Mel 1 month ago (edited)
Historically, most of Europe never had the need for air conditioning units and the heat waves were never as brutal as they are these days. If you consider the construction of older houses, the insulation is also much better. In most countries, it's still seen as a luxury rather than necessity, which might change in upcoming years, but installing, maintaining and running it is still quite expensive here. And let's not forget that climate conditions are not the same - humidity makes SO much difference. Multiple days of swampy 40C take a toll on you.
Load More Replies...
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