A record-setting heat wave with temperatures consistently topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit continued to scorch broad swaths of the European continent, leaving a trail of heat-related deaths and illnesses across Spain, France, and Italy, the BBC reported.

Spain's national weather service stated that June's average temperature of 74.5 degrees Fahrenheit "pulverized records," per the BBC. England, too, experienced its hottest June on record, while France suffered through its second-hottest June in the last 100 years, behind only 2023.

What's happening?

The blazing temperatures have been causing wildfires to rage and people to fall ill across the continent.

In Coscó, Spain, a farm owner and worker died after being caught in a fast-spreading blaze. Two men who began experiencing heat-related illnesses while on the idyllic beaches of Sardinia, Italy, later passed away. A 10-year-old girl died after collapsing while visiting the Palace of Versailles outside Paris, the BBC reported.

In total, at least eight people in Europe have died due to heat-related causes from late June to early July, according to Al Jazeera.

Why are heat waves important?

Every year, 175,000 people die from heat-related causes in Europe alone, according to the UN.

Around the world, almost half a million people die from heat each year, per the World Health Organization, and that figure is only expected to grow as average global temperatures continue to rise.

Children under five and the elderly are among the populations most physiologically vulnerable to heat, experts told the BBC.

However, lower-income individuals and those working in manual trades are also at greater risk due to environmental factors.

The world's poorest 25% of people face 40% greater exposure to heat waves than the world's richest 25%, with that disparity expected to increase, according to a study published in the science journal Earth's Future.

Do you think your AC unit works efficiently? Definitely 👍 Sometimes 🫠 It's hard to tell 🤷 Not at all 🥵 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Making matters worse, the study's authors pointed out that the world's poorest regions have "reduced adaptive capacity to warming, which compounds the impacts of higher heatwave exposure."

This "adaptive capacity" not only includes access to things like household air conditioning but also reliable electrical grids with enough capacity to power them when needed most.

What's being done about heat waves?

Since the 1960s, the average number of heat waves per year, the average length of those heat waves, and the temperatures reached during those heat waves have all gone up every single decade, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

While no single severe-weather event can be tied directly to human causes, scientists have established that the release of heat-trapping pollution, primarily from the burning of fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas, has resulted in rising global temperatures.

This rise in average temperatures not only increases the likelihood of heat waves, but it also raises the risk of climate disasters such as flash floods, as seen in Central Texas.

To reverse current climate trends, it is necessary to significantly curtail the amount of heat-trapping pollution entering the atmosphere. This can be accomplished in ways large and small, from driving an EV to taking public transit to installing solar in your home.

Installing solar panels and a battery system not only reduces the amount of pollution your family generates but also makes your home more resilient in the event of power outages, helping to ensure your AC stays running through even the most extreme heat waves.

EnergySage offers a free service that makes it easy to compare quotes from vetted local solar installers, saving customers up to $10,000 in the process.

Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.