Weather & Science
Europe’s Record Heat Wave Will Be Summer Norm by 2035
Even if countries meet climate goals, it may not be enough to prevent extreme warming.
A firefighter tackles a forest fire in Baiao, Portugal on July 15.
Photographer: Patricia De Melo Moreira/AFP/Getty Images
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Europe’s record-breaking heat wave will be just an average summer in less than 15 years — even if countries meet their climate goals — with regular droughts and fires set to become the norm.
By the end of the century, a typical summer will be over 4 degrees Celsius hotter than pre-industrial levels, more than twice the 1.5 degree target set by the Paris Agreement, according to a report by the Met Office Hadley Centre.