THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Heatwaves fuel unprecedented air conditioner demand in Europe, powering ... BERLIN, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Europe's recurring summer heatwaves are prompting more households to reconsider their cooling options -- a trend creating fresh opportunities for Chinese appliance manufacturers targeting a market long resistant to air conditioning adoption. According to a bulletin from the World Meteorological Organization, an early and intense heatwave swept across Europe in late June and early July -- Southern Spain saw temperatures soar to 46 degrees Celsius, while France logged its hottest June day on record. Austria, Slovenia and Bosnia issued red alerts for high temperatures, and countries including Germany, Italy and Portugal are also suffering a scorching summer. Yet air conditioning remains far from commonplace in Europe. CNN data shows that only about 20 percent of households have cooling systems. In Britain, that figure is just 5 percent; in Germany, it's below 3 percent. A mix of structural and economic barriers, including a high proportion of rental housing, steep electricity costs and deeply ingrained sustainability values, has long kept air conditioners out of European homes. …

How Europe’s rush for Chinese air conditioners exposes the gap in Brussels’ trade policy A heatwave is driving unprecedented demand for Chinese air conditioners in Europe, just as Brussels seeks to narrow its record trade deficit with China through new restrictions. Observers said this exposed a glaring contradiction between public demand and political rhetoric, adding that the European Union was shifting blame for the trade deficit instead of addressing its own structural shortcomings. The record-breaking heatwave has disrupted transit infrastructure, triggered droughts and led to...

European summers are getting brutally hot. So why is air ... - CNN Extreme temperatures See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads Link Copied! Follow Brutal heat waves are coming more frequently in Europe, leaving millions of people struggling to adapt to punishing, record-breaking temperatures. There is little respite. Air conditioning is very rare in European homes. Many residents ride out the searing heat with the help of electric fans, ice packs and cold showers. But Europe hasn’t approached heat in the same way as the historically hotter United States. While nearly 90% of US homes have air conditioning, in Europe it’s around 20%. ☀️ Explore CNN Weather for iPhone As climate change drives more severe and prolonged heat waves , which arrive earlier and earlier, some are questioning why wealthy European countries have been seemingly reluctant to adopt air conditioning — especially as the heat takes an increasingly deadly toll . A big part of the reason is many European countries historically had little need for cooling, especially in the north. Heat waves have always happened but rarely reached the prolonged high temperatures Europe now regularly endures. “In Europe… we s…

Degrees of denial: Paris blames US for climate change in heated exchange A transatlantic debate ignites as Paris blames America's heavy air conditioning use for contributing to Europe's heatwave deaths. While the US mocks France's lack of AC, experts highlight America's significant emissions. The article contrasts this with the US's own struggles with extreme heat and a dismissive attitude towards climate science, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable cooling solutions.

As Europe Sweats, Some Politicians Talk of Air-Conditioning, Not ... It was a crisp 54 degrees in Aberdeen, on the northeast coast of Scotland, last week when Kemi Badenoch, the leader of Britain’s Conservative Party, once again championed the country’s fossil fuel industry. “The war on oil and gas must end,” she insisted, prompting applause from supporters in the port city, a major hub for petroleum extraction in the North Sea. “We need to get Britain drilling again.” Eight days later, thermostats across southern England and Wales recorded soaring heat , with temperatures in London nearing 100 degrees. Schools closed, trains were canceled or delayed and some hospitals halted elective procedures. The opening session of London Climate Action Week, focused on improving extreme heat governance, was called off after Britain’s national weather service, the Met Office, issued a “red warning.” For politicians like Ms. Badenoch, who has called herself a “net zero skeptic” and whose party won a special election in Aberdeen, the increasingly intense heat presents a challenge. How do they reconcile their support for faster extraction and use of polluting energy sources that contribute to the…

Air conditioning is controversial in Europe. Culture & political wars ... Europe is sweltering. France recorded its hottest day since record-keeping began in 1947 and temperatures crossed 40°C in large parts of Spain, Italy and Germany. Schools across France, Belgium and the UK have shut. Rail operators cancelled services because overhead power lines sag and tracks can buckle in extreme heat, and hospitals such as the Frédéric-Henri Manhès facilitynear Parishave turned their air-conditioned waiting rooms into informal wards for patients who could not cope with the heat in their own houses. The heat wave, caused by a ‘heat dome’ effect that has trapped warm air over the continent, has been linked to hundreds of deaths even as authorities say the full scale of the toll is still to be known. Yet, despite years of warnings about heat waves getting more frequent, a wealthy Europe has been reluctant to adopt air conditioning. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), barely one in five houses in Europe has any form of air conditioning, compared to around 90% in the US. The most basic reason forlow adoption of air conditioningcomes down to climate. Until recently, large part…

The Overlooked Reason Europe Doesn't Have AC - The Atlantic Listen − 1.0 x + Seek 0:00 8:25 This summer, the transatlantic culture war has fixated on an unlikely flash point: air-conditioning. Last weekend, I arrived in Paris at the beginning of the heat wave, or canicule , that has stifled the country and much of Europe. Temperatures in France have soared to record-breaking highs, reaching nearly 112 degrees Fahrenheit in certain parts of the country. Several young children have died in parked vehicles, and the French government reported earlier this week that dozens of people have drowned in waterways while seeking relief from the heat. Many more have been hospitalized. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 175,000 people die from heat-related causes each year across Europe. Although such tallies are imperfect , there is legitimate concern that this summer could be particularly lethal. Some commentators in the United States have taken the opportunity to lecture Europeans, and perhaps even indulge in a little schadenfreude. “Just install the goddamn fucking AC and save your grandma’s life, Euro friends!” the popular economics writer Noah Smith posted on X. “I ask…

[1/6] 2026-07-01 15:08:34 - [Domestic air conditioners are booming in Europe] According to CCTV Financial News, data shows that only about 20% of European households have air conditioners installed. Affected by the concentrated outbreak of refrigeration demand in Europe, overseas

Extreme heatwaves expose vulnerabilities in Europe's power grid amid ... By Euronews Green Published on 17/08/2025 - 10:17 GMT+2 Share Comments Add Euronews on Google Share Facebook Twitter Flipboard Send Reddit Linkedin Messenger Telegram VK Bluesky Threads Whatsapp As Europe faces soaring temperatures and rising energy demand, power grids struggle to keep the lights on without worsening emissions. This summer, Europe has again been gripped by a series of intense and widespread heatwaves. This week alone, temperature records have been broken across south-west France, Croatia and Hungary, with some regions enduring highs of over 40°C. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT As climate change makes heatwaves more frequent and more intense, demand for energy is soaring as people attempt to keep cool. At the same time, high temperatures are undermining electricity supplies, particularly from thermal plants - a type of power station in which heat energy is converted into electricity - that rely on river water for cooling. Experts warn that heatwaves are putting the continent’s power grid under severe stress. They say energy systems urgently need to adapt, increasing flexibility and transitioning …

To use air con or not? The facts behind the politicised battle to stay ... By Tamsin Paternoster & Estelle Nilsson-Julien Published on 26/06/2026 - 15:35 GMT+2 Share Comments Add Euronews on Google Share Facebook Twitter Flipboard Send Reddit Linkedin Messenger Telegram VK Bluesky Threads Whatsapp French politicians have drawn ideological battle lines over air conditioning as Europe struggles with record-breaking temperatures. What do experts say about the debate? Sweltering temperatures across Western Europe triggered by a heat dome have transformed air conditioning into an increasingly topical — and contentious — debate. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT European countries that have not historically relied on air con are navigating a complex decision: whether to embrace it fully — which experts have warned could come with environmental and financial concerns — or to resist, as part of a quest for alternative solutions. In France, politicians laying the groundwork for their electoral campaigns ahead of the 2027 presidential election have seized upon the air conditioning debate. Leading far-right figure Marine Le Pen has renewed calls for a nationwide expansion of air conditioning, echo…

Is Europe embracing air conditioning as deadly heat waves become more ... London — Many Europeans have long seen air conditioning as an unnecessary, costly, carbon emissions-heavy indulgence. But as the continent's summers get hotter, claiming more lives as they do, that appears to be changing. Over the last week, 40 people died in France from drowning as they sought relief from extreme heat. In Spain, temperatures hit 111 degrees, and the U.K. is enduring its hottest June on record. Every year, heat claims an average of 175,000 lives across Europe, according to the World Health Organization. Air conditioning can cut heat-related deaths by 75%, according to a 2007 study , and research published by The Lancet found that in 2019, 195,000 heat-related deaths among people over the age of 65 were averted thanks to AC being adopted. But only about 20% of Europeans have it at home, compared to 90% in the U.S . So, why has it been so slow to catch on? Culture, cost and climate Just as Americans in Europe can't believe how much they're sweating as they walk around the Louvre in Paris, European visitors to America often find themselves appalled when, on a sunny day, they have to put on a sw…

How extreme heat is exposing extreme inequality <p>The climate crisis and worsening disparity could be responsible for more than 100,000 deaths a year in Europe, which should set off alarm bells for policymakers</p><p><strong>• </strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/22/this-is-europe-sign-up-guardian-email-updates"><strong>Don’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up here</strong></a></p><p>Call it a tale of two heatwave experiences.</p><p>As brutally hot conditions brought much of western Europe to its knees, an American writer living in Paris <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/06/europe-heat-wave-air-conditioning/687729/">asserted that</a>, for many, the heat was not “nearly as apocalyptic” as most media were suggesting. He said he had yet to buy a fan, instead relying on closed shutters, misting sessions and open windows in the evening to keep his ground-level flat cool.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/01/how-extreme-heat-is-exposing-extreme-inequality">Continue reading...</a>

What Europe's heat wave means for the power grid It’s been hard to look away from headlines about the European heat wave this week. Temperatures are breaking records across the continent, and the weather isthreatening lives,shutting down schools, and in one particularly ironic case, forcing the cancellation of a London Climate Action Weekevent about extreme heat. As the summer ramps up and we see this kind of weather sweep around the Northern Hemisphere, I’m always keeping my eye on the power grid. And one notable update that caught my attention this week was news that a nuclear power plant in the south of France had toclose down because of the heat. Climate change is squeezing the grid from all sides, affecting both supply and demand. Heat can affect power availability, from generation to transmission infrastructure, as I covered inmy latest story. But climate change is also helping push electricity use higher—and countries in Europe and around the world will need to adapt. In the US, nearly 90% of homes have air-conditioning. That means many grids see their highest demand in the summer months, and the risk of brownouts and blackouts is at its worst. People are often quick to…

🚨 Breaking News 🚨 France’s Heatwave Exposes a Nation Still Reluctant to Embrace Air Conditioning, Until Now. South Florida Media – Florida’s Free News Leader Article Link: sfl.media/france-heatw... #France #Heatwave #Climate #WorldNews #SouthFloridaMedia

France's ideological war on air conditioning | The Spectator Text settings Text size Small Medium Large Line Spacing Compact Normal Spacious Comments Share Share Gavin Mortimer France’s ideological war on air conditioning Copy link Copied Linkedin Messenger Email America is to blame for the heatwave that has caused so much misery in France in the last fortnight. Audrey Pulvar, the Socialist deputy mayor of Paris, took to social media at the weekend, addressing a letter to “dear American journalists” who have been making fun of Paris because the city doesn’t have air conditioning. “This is so rich!” exclaimed Pulvar. “You bear a significant amount of responsibility for global warming and the consequences we, in France, are experiencing. Your cities, which are 90 percent air conditioned, are not unrelated to this.” It sounds like Madame Pulvar is a little hot and bothered, which isn’t surprising given the furnace that France has become. In Chablis, a little south of where I live in Burgundy, the temperature hit 41.6°C (107°F) on Saturday, a regional record for June. The vines, according to one wine-grower, are “starting to show signs of stress.” “Installing air conditioning everywhe…

What you need to know about air-conditioning that won't ... Emma Atkins Climate Campaigner The UK is this week in the midst of yet another unseasonal heatwave – and with global temperatures rising every year, it’s only going to get worse. Many people around the world are turning to air-conditioning to find some relief from the heat, but air-conditioning is itself a part of the problem as it also contributes to warming the planet. EIA has a long track record of investigating the impacts of cooling technologies and here we present five alternative tips for staying cool, four of the hidden impacts of air-con and three policy changes we need now to ensure cooling doesn’t boil Britain. Scorched grass in Greenwich Park, London, during a heatwave in August 2022 (c) Alisdare Hickson (used under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license) 1. Stay hydrated– drink plenty of liquids and try to minimise alcohol consumption. 2. Use a fan– position a bowl of ice below a regular room fan to circulate cool air. 3. Keep windows and curtains closed during the day– this can insulate your home from the highest daytime temperatures. 4. Open the windows at night– if possible, …

Europe's heatwave is a great booster for this Chinese product. Here's ... As record-breaking heatwaves sweep acrossEurope,Chineseair conditioner makers are running factories around the clock to meet a sharp rise in demand for portable cooling units. Manufacturers are rushing shipments to Europe in an effort to capitalise on what remains of the peak summer season, as soaring temperatures push consumers to seek alternatives to traditional air-conditioning systems. Chinese home appliance giant Midea told theGlobal Timesthat its air conditioner plant in Shunde, Guangdong Province, is operating around the clock to increase production of its PortaSplit models. The units are being transported to Europe via China-Europe freight trains to ensure they arrive before the end of the summer. "We have seen robust sales growth in parts of Western Europe. Our air conditioner sales in markets with relatively low air conditioner penetration, including France, Spain, Germany and the UK all posted a year-on-year increase of more than 70 percent," Midea said. Don't Miss:Same 43°C temperature, different reality: Why Europe's heatwave is more brutal than India's Midea is not alone. Chinese appliance …

The New Hot Topic in European Politics Is Air Conditioning 27.07.2025 09:00 The Wall Street Journal By Matthew Dalton, The Wall Street Journal Share The Inferno of 1987: How a Relentless Heatwave Claimed Over 1,300 Lives in Greece Today, Greece, like much of the world, is grappling with the undeniable consequences of climate change: more frequent and intense heatwaves, longer wildfire seasons, unpredictable weather patterns, and vulnerable cities pushed to their limits ΒΗΜΑ History 27.07.2025 09:00 The Wall Street Journal By Matthew Dalton, The Wall Street Journal Share Battle lines have been drawn between those who want air conditioning and those who worry over the environmental cost Μake us preferred on Google PARIS—Rising summer temperatures have softened Europe’s resistance to air conditioning and touched off a new political fight about the wisdom of installing the technology everywhere, U.S.-style. A heat wave that hit Western Europe in June and July spurred a run on air conditioners in appliance stores across the region. The scorching temperatures came unusually early, before many Europeans had a chance to decamp to the beach for summer vacation, exposing vulnerabilities in …

Europe heatwave drives sell‑out of Chinese portable split air‑conditioners World Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Telegram 27th June 2026 – (Paris) Chinese-made portable split air‑conditioners have sold out across parts of Europe as a punishing heatwave drives temperatures above 40°C and pushes demand far beyond normal seasonal peaks. Retailers and e‑commerce platforms in multiple countries report empty shelves and waitlists, with some units resold for nearly €5,000—far above typical list prices of €749–€849. Shoppers are travelling long distances to find remaining stock. One Austrian buyer described deploying AI search agents and driving roughly 200 kilometres to Linz to secure what appeared to be the last unit in the region. In Germany, a developer launched an inventory‑tracking site, braucheklima.de, with paid email alerts, while stores in France reported crowds rushing through doors at opening to snap up machines. The surge centres on portable split systems popularised by Chinese brands such as Midea (including its Portasplit series). These models avoid the need to core external walls—an obstacle in Europe’s heritage housing—and let users mount the outdoor module on a balco…

European heat wave brings in cool cash for Asian air-conditioner ... - CNN A passerby walks down the street with an air conditioner during a heat wave in Tours, France on June 21, 2026. Alexis Jumeau/Abaca Press/Sipa USA/AP Extreme temperatures Asia South Korea Japan See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads Link Copied! Follow Seoul / Beijing Reuters — As Europe sweats through record-breaking temperatures, Asian makers of air conditioners, like South Korea’s Samsung Electronics, China’s Midea and Japan’s Mitsubishi Electric, are enjoying a boom in sales. Air conditioning is common throughout buildings, transport and homes in major cities across Asia, but it is rare in Europe and people are struggling to stay cool as searing heat claims lives, disrupts power supplies and shuts schools . Seeking respite from the sizzling weather, people and companies across Europe are snapping up portable and fixed air conditioners as some countries warn the heat wave could intensify. “With temperatures expected to rise further from June onward, we expect sustained demand through the peak cooling season,” said Samsung Electronics in a statement to Reuters. Key markets, including Italy, Spain…

The American mind cannot comprehend Europe's AC aversion Europe is really, really hot right now. Across much of the continent, temperatures have surged to levels once considered exceptional. France recently saw its hottest day since records began, with highs of 108 degrees Fahrenheit in some parts of the country. The UK and Spain have also experienced their hottest June days on record. Open a weather map of Europe, and vast swaths of the continent glow deep red, as though a fiery inferno is burning the continent alive. While temperatures in Europe are not dramatically different from those experienced in many parts of the United States, Australia, or Asia, there is one crucial difference:relief from the heatis far harder to find. According to the International Energy Agency, only around 20% of European households have air conditioning, compared with roughly 90% in the United States and Japan. During a heat wave, millions of Europeans simply endure the heat rather than relax in the blissful, artificial chill. For many Americans, this is almost impossible to understand. If you've been on social media in recent days, you'll likely have seen endless posts from US users about Europ…

Punishing heatwave exposes cracks in France's nuclear power fleet Nuclear energy Punishing heatwave exposes cracks in France's nuclear power fleet Three French nuclear plants halted production during this week's record-breaking heatwave as rivers became too warm to cool them, raising questions over the long-term future of Europe's biggest nuclear fleet. Issued on: 26/06/2026 - 18:00 4 min Reading time Record high temperatures forced EDF to close the two nuclear reactors at the Golfech plant this week. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier By: Alison Hird Advertising Read more EDF, France's electricity operator, shut down one reactor at its Golfech nuclear plant on the Garonne on Monday after river temperatures approached the site's operating limit of 28C. Output has also been reduced at reactors in Bugey on the Rhône and Nogent-sur-Seine. The disruption remains limited. France's grid operator RTE said electricity supplies remain secure. EDF said the loss of 2.2 gigawatts – about 3.5 percent of the country's nuclear capacity – does not threaten the balance between supply and demand. But ecologists and some energy experts say the shutdowns are part of a growing pattern that raises questions…

The essence of Europe's trade deficit with China, as seen through an ... Illustration: Xia Qing/GT A "deadly" heatwave is sweeping across the European continent. It is estimated to have caused around 15,000 deaths, many of them older people living in apartments and care homes without air conditioning. Amid the heatwave, air conditioners made in China have been almost snapped up across major shopping malls in Europe. On social media, many European users have remarked that "Chinese air conditioners are affordable" and that "Europe should import more." Scenes like this deserve careful reflection from EU policymakers.Since 2020, extreme heat events have become significantly more frequent in Europe. Take 2025 as an example: temperatures in parts of Western Europe exceeded 46 C in June, while areas near the Arctic Circle experienced the longest heatwave on record, lasting three consecutive weeks in July. Another telling figure is that during the 2025 cooling year (a term used in the air-conditioning industry, referring to August 2024 to July 2025), Europe's imports of Chinese air conditioners surged by about 40 percent, making it the primary driver of global growth in China's AC export…

Why Right-Wing Populists Are Embracing Air-Conditioning Amid Extreme ... As record-breaking temperatures sweep across Europe, a new ideological divide has emerged regarding how citizens should manage the heat. While climate scientists and European Union officials emphasize long-term energy efficiency and building renovation, some right-wing populist factions are increasingly framing the right to air-conditioning as a matter of personal liberty and economic necessity. This shift in discourse marks a departure from traditional environmental debates, repositioning cooling systems not merely as domestic appliances, but as symbols of resistance against stringent green regulations. According to reports from the International Energy Agency (IEA) , the demand for space cooling in Europe has grown significantly over the last decade, driven by more frequent and intense heatwaves. For many, the debate centers on whether cooling should be viewed as a luxury to be curtailed or a public health necessity to be subsidized. The Intersection of Energy Policy and Political Rhetoric Political movements on the right in countries such as Italy, France, and Germany have begun to incorporate energy acces…

Europe's scorching heatwave sees demand for Chinese air conditioners ... From Paris to Athens, and Lisbon to Berlin, Europeans are enduring a prolonged and punishing summer heatwave amid global warming. Advertisement And rising right alongside the blazing temperatures are China’s exports of air conditioners (ACs) to the continent, with a nearly 60 per cent jump by volume in July, compared with the same time last year, according to Chinese customs data. The Spanish capital of Madrid kicked off the week under a yellow alert – the third-highest heat warning on a four-tier scale – with temperatures reaching almost 36 degrees Celsius (96.8 degrees Fahrenheit), according to Spain’s State Meteorological Agency. A severe heatwave also continued to grip France last weekend, when 85 of the 96 metropolitan departments – roughly equivalent to Chinese prefecture-level cities or US counties – were under heatwave alerts, including Paris. The French capital experienced its first heatwave of the summer in June, with temperatures hitting 36 degrees – exceeding the typical average high for the month of 24 degrees. For a continent that is mostly situated at a latitude similar to China’s northeast – w…

Heatwaves fuel unprecedented air conditioner demand in Europe, powering ... Xinhua | Updated: 2025-07-14 16:49 BERLIN -- Europe's recurring summer heatwaves are prompting more households to reconsider their cooling options -- a trend creating fresh opportunities for Chinese appliance manufacturers targeting a market long resistant to air conditioning adoption. According to a bulletin from the World Meteorological Organization, an early and intense heatwave swept across Europe in late June and early July -- Southern Spain saw temperatures soar to 46 degrees Celsius, while France logged its hottest June day on record. Austria, Slovenia and Bosnia issued red alerts for high temperatures, and countries including Germany, Italy and Portugal are also suffering a scorching summer. Yet air conditioning remains far from commonplace in Europe. CNN data shows that only about 20 percent of households have cooling systems. In Britain, that figure is just 5 percent; in Germany, it's below 3 percent. A mix of structural and economic barriers, including a high proportion of rental housing, steep electricity costs and deeply ingrained sustainability values, has long kept air conditio…

French power prices spike 41% as heatwave drives cooling demand - WION France's electricity prices surged 41% to €91.20 per megawatt-hour due to increased cooling demand from unseasonably high temperatures, particularly in southern France and Spain. France is heating up and so are its electricity prices. A fresh spike in demand for cooling systems is pushing the country’s power rates to their highest in weeks, as Europe battles another bout of summer heat. According to Bloomberg, French electricity prices for Thursday surged by 41 per cent to €91.20 (about $106) per megawatt-hour. This marks the highest level since early July, based on market data from Epex Spot, a key European power exchange. The surge is being driven by an unseasonal jump in temperatures, especially in southern France and Spain, forcing households and businesses to ramp up air conditioning. France, like much of Europe, has already endured one heatwave this summer, in late June and early July. That weather event drove electricity prices higher across the continent, with demand for cooling outpacing seasonal norms. But this week’s heat is more localised, hitting France, Spain, and parts of the Nordic region, wh…

France Is Too Hot for Shutters and Ceiling Fans - The Atlantic Listen − 1.0 x + Seek 0:00 13:11 O n a recent morning partway through France’s historic heat wave, Dhafer Kahri, an air-conditioning technician, let me join him on a house call to an apartment in Paris’s 16th arrondissement, where he was trying to bring a unit back to life. Kahri’s phone rang so often—several times an hour, all day long—that he worked with his AirPods in. With more work than he could handle, he could freely apologize with the magic words The boss won’t do it for rejecting jobs that he, the boss, didn’t want to do. He wanted to work on apartments with balconies, such as this one, because a balcony is in many cases the only spot an air conditioner can be installed here—hidden from neighbors, preservationists, and the city. He did not want to work on the city’s famous gray zinc roofs, which can reach temperatures of 150 degrees on the hottest summer days, creating life-threatening heat for those who live beneath them. The position of the French government, and the city of Paris, is that air-conditioning is a “maladaptation” to climate change—a wasteful, antisocial technology that intensifies the very cris…

Heated debate: When air conditioning became political in France Tens of millions of people suffered and thousands died during a historic heatwave in France. As the temperatures rose while the days stretched on, media attention invariably turned to air conditioning, a rare technology in France. In this edition of FRANCE 24's media show "Scoop", we look at media coverage of the brutal heat and the outrageous rhetoric that sometimes ensued. Guests include FRANCE 24'S Environment Editor Valerie Dekimpe and Tech Editor Peter O'Brien.

European summers are getting brutally hot. So why is air conditioning ... Extreme temperatures See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads Link Copied! Follow Brutal heat waves are coming more frequently in Europe, leaving millions of people struggling to adapt to punishing, record-breaking temperatures. There is little respite. Air conditioning is very rare in European homes. Many residents ride out the searing heat with the help of electric fans, ice packs and cold showers. But Europe hasn’t approached heat in the same way as the historically hotter United States. While nearly 90% of US homes have air conditioning, in Europe it’s around 20%. ☀️ Explore CNN Weather for iPhone As climate change drives more severe and prolonged heat waves , which arrive earlier and earlier, some are questioning why wealthy European countries have been seemingly reluctant to adopt air conditioning — especially as the heat takes an increasingly deadly toll . A big part of the reason is many European countries historically had little need for cooling, especially in the north. Heat waves have always happened but rarely reached the prolonged high temperatures Europe now regularly endures. “In Europ…

DO THE ELITE GREENIES HAVE AIR? Europe heatwave: Why is air conditioning the hot political debate dividing France? As France endures a record-breaking heatwave with temperatures exceeding 40°C, air conditioning has become the centre of a fierce political battle. www.firstpost.com/explainers/e...

Europe's Soaring Heat and the Great Air Conditioning Dilemma Insights | Charted Europe’s Soaring Heat and the Great Air Conditioning Dilemma Europe’s cities can beat extreme heat by combining efficient air con with passive cooling to reduce emissions and energy use. By: Roxana Slavcheva , Saif Shabou , Eric Mackres and Angela Bekkers Last Updated: June 3, 2026 Originally Published: August 20, 2025 Explore More: extreme heat climate change renewable energy climate policy Urban Development Image by Image by nito/alamy Parts of Europe sweltered in May as a heat dome spread across the continent, shattering temperature records for the month. Peak afternoon temperatures climbed to around 35 degrees C (95 degrees F) in the UK and France — about 10-15 degrees C (18-27 degrees F) higher than average for this time of the year. Deadly heat waves have become the new norm in recent years for Europe, the world’s fastest-warming continent . With air conditioning in only 20% of the Europe’s buildings , city leaders face a pressing dilemma: how to keep people cool without worsening the climate crisis driving rising temperatures in the first place. The cycle of rising heat, greater …

The Overlooked Reason Europe Doesn’t Have AC: Sweltering Parisians close their metal shutters against a record-breaking 112-degree sun, quietly misting themselves to endure the afternoon. Americans view European heat waves as infrastructure failures. Locals call it an environmental thrift sacrifice.