Kathmandu— Europe is experiencing an unprecedented summer of extreme heat, with record temperatures hitting multiple countries including Germany, Czechia, Poland, Denmark, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Italy. The World Health Organization has linked over 1,300 excess deaths to this early phase of the heat wave alone, with provisional figures indicating tens of thousands more across Europe. Scientists have unequivocally stated that such extreme temperatures would be virtually impossible without human-driven climate change.

Impact on Daily Life

The heat wave has had immediate and severe impacts on daily life, particularly in schools and urban areas. In Italy, nursery and pre-school classrooms have reached internal temperatures of up to 36°C, prompting parents to organize collections for portable air conditioning units. Across Europe, many school buildings are ill-equipped for extreme heat, leading to shortened lessons, canceled outdoor activities, or even building closures. The burden falls disproportionately on children in underfunded public systems.

Electricity Grid Strain

The high demand for cooling has stretched electricity grids to their limits. In Italy, national electricity demand reached record levels during July heatwaves, leading to localized blackouts in major cities like Rome and Naples. Across Europe, thermal plants have become less efficient due to the heat, while drought conditions have constrained hydropower and river-cooled generation.

Global Context of Conflict

The impact of extreme heat is exacerbated by ongoing conflicts and genocides in regions like Gaza and Sudan. In Gaza, nearly a million people live in tents or overcrowded shelters without electricity for fans or refrigeration, leading to routine cases of heatstroke among children and the elderly. Similarly, in Sudan, extreme heat has caused deaths from heatstroke while power outages and water shortages leave displaced families with no means of cooling.

Contributing Factors

Two significant contributors to this crisis are military activities and data centers. Militaries are responsible for an estimated 5.5 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions, largely unaccounted for in climate policy. Data centers consume roughly 1.5–2 percent of global electricity and generate substantial waste heat, further straining already stressed grids and water systems.

The records will continue to fall, and the death tolls will rise unless there is a systemic transformation that addresses the underlying drivers of climate change.

(With inputs from CounterPunch)

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Originally published on abcnews.com.np.