--- title: "Over a Thousand Die in European “Heat Apocalypse”" description: "Europe is being gripped by a devastating heat wave, forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes — and killing over a thousand more." date: "2022-07-19" modified: "2022-07-19" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/a-thousand-die-european-heat-apocalypse" categories: - "Climate Change" - "Environment" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "climate change" - "europe" - "heat wave" - "the digest" --- # Over a Thousand Die in European “Heat Apocalypse” ![Europe is being gripped by a devastating heat wave, forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes — and killing over a thousand more.]() *\Image: BARRENA / AFP\* ## Dangerous Heat Europe is being gripped by a devastating heat wave, triggering wildfires and forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes — whiling killing over a thousand more. Over 1,100 people died in Spain and Portugal alone due to heat-related causes over the last two weeks, [according to *Axios*](). Temperatures soared well past the 104 degrees Fahrenheit mark (that's 40 degrees Celsius), with the UK hitting an all-time record of 104.3 degrees Fahrenheit, the [*BBC* reports](). Parts of the country are now [under a "Red warning"]() for extreme heat, for the first time in history. While those kind of temperatures may be common in other places of the world, Europe is ill prepared. The London Underground, for instance, had to suspend some services due to the lack of air conditioning. In short, the effects of climate change are on full display — and could be a grim sign of things to come, in the absence of drastic climate action. "We’re climate change refugees," one resident who lives in southwestern France told French newspaper *Le Monde*, as [quoted by *The Guardian*](). ## Up in Flames Southern Europe lit up in in ["monster" wildfires](), with authorities warning of "very extreme" fire danger this week in areas across Spain, southern France, Italy, and even the UK, according to the *BBC*. Officials called the area "a real powder keg," due to winds fanning flames, [*The New York Times* reports](). Portugal hit temperatures of 116 degrees Fahrenheit last week, a July record, according to *AFP*. "In some south-western areas it will be a heat apocalypse," meteorologist François Gourand [told *Agence France-Presse*](). It's a sad reality — but it's far from surprising, given global average temperatures have [risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius]() since pre-industrial levels, largely due to human activity. And that's making heat waves like this one substantially more likely to occur in any given year, according to experts. In short, "climate change affects everyone," as one local resident in Spain [told *Reuters*](). **READ MORE:** [Heat wave kills more than 1,100 people in Spain and Portugal]() \[*Axios*\] **More on heat waves:** *[Experts Concerned Texas Power Plants Will Start to Die Amid Heat Wave]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()