During a suffocating heat wave across Europe, wildfires have forced thousands of residents to evacuate their homes.

What's happening?

At the end of June, many European countries experienced temperatures that were well above average, Reuters reported.

High temperatures were roughly 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit above their normals for that time of year. France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, and the Netherlands all issued health warnings because of the high temperatures.

El Granado, Spain, saw temperatures reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The Iberian country and England both recorded their hottest June ever.

"It's awful," one Spanish resident told Reuters. "We need to be looking for shade constantly."

The heat brought other problems with it, as fires broke out in France, where the temperature soared over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and Turkey. In Turkey, heat and strong winds fueled the flames, and more than 50,000 people had to evacuate their homes.

Why are heat waves important?

Extreme heat is a huge threat to human life. As Reuters noted, it kills up to 480,000 people each year, more than the combined number from disasters such as floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes.

In this case, Reuters reported that 2,300 people died as a result of the heat wave, according to a rapid scientific analysis of the heat wave.  

Such deadly heat waves are likely to happen more frequently as the planet continues to warm.

Last year was the warmest in recorded history, and the 10 hottest on record each happened within the past decade. What's more, experts with the World Meteorological Organization expect the record to be broken again at some point in the next five years.

How concerned are you about your energy bills increasing this summer? Very 😰 Somewhat 😏 Not much 🤷 Not at all 🧘 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Scientists agree that this warming is the result of human-caused air pollution. As we burn more fossil fuels and release more toxic gases into the air, those gases trap heat within our atmosphere, causing the planet to warm.

Such warming does more than just increase temperatures. It also makes other types of extreme weather more frequent and can make natural disasters more severe. The problem is so severe that experts have likened our warming planet to "steroids for weather."

What's being done about heat waves?

Across Europe, countries have taken several precautions to protect their citizens from this extreme heat. Italy, for example, banned outside work during the hottest parts of the day, and Germany asked residents to limit their water use.

But the only real way to stop these heat waves from becoming worse is to reduce our planet's greenhouse gas pollution. 

Individuals can take many steps to reduce their carbon footprint. Some are small, such as reducing the amount of plastic used daily, and some are larger, such as installing solar panels or purchasing an electric vehicle.

By understanding the issues that cause extreme weather to happen and using that knowledge to make informed decisions, everyone can play a role in trying to keep our planet cooler.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.