Europe's extreme heat would be impossible without climate change, scientists say
The World Weather Attribution rapid study released Friday found that the heat would have been virtually impossible just five decades ago, and is 200 times more likely today than it would have been 20 years ago.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAm|:==:@?D :? uC2?46[ xE2=J[ $A2:?[ E96 &?:E65 z:?85@> 2?5 6=D6H96C6 :? tFC@A6 2C6 6IA6C:6?4:?8 6IEC6>6 E6>A6C2EFC6D 2?5 9F>:5:EJ E9:D H66< k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^4=:>2E6\962E\5@>6\E6>A6C2EFC6D\6FC@A6\2ec7ca33ab`d`gdbh6ge__c3ghhfc2e`Qm2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 2 962E 5@>6k^2m] s2JE:>6 E6>A6C2EFC6D 92G6 E@AA65 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^962E\H2G6\6FC@A6\?F>36CD\dhc7fb53ed`7hegb4cb247_c6__h5d6fQmc_ 568C66D r6=D:FDk^2m W`_c u29C6?96:EX :? >2?J A=246D[ H9:=6 9:89 ?:89EE:>6 E6>A6C2EFC6D 92G6 2=D@ >256 :E 92C56C E@ 4@@= 5@H? 2?5 C64@G6C]k^Am
kAm%96 D4:6?E:DED 6DE:>2E65 E92E 2 962E H2G6 H:E9 D:>:=2C 492C24E6C:DE:4D @44FCC:?8 :? E96 4=:>2E6 @7 yF?6 `hfe H@F=5 92G6 366? 23@FE b]d 568C66D r6=D:FD We]b u29C6?96:EX 4@@=6C 5FC:?8 E96 52J 2?5 23@FE a 568C66D r6=D:FD 4@@=6C Wb]e u29C6?96:EX :? a__b] %96 ?:89EE:>6 E6>A6C2EFC6D H@F=5 92G6 366? 23@FE a]c 568C66D r6=D:FD Wc]b u29C6?96:EX 4@@=6C :? yF?6 `hfe 2?5 23@FE `]b 568C66D r6=D:FD Wa]b u29C6?96:EX 4@@=6C :? a__b]k^Am
kAm%96J 49@D6 `hfe 2?5 a__b 7@C 4@>A2C:D@? 3642FD6 E9@D6 J62CD D2H 6IEC6>6 962E :? tFC@A6]k^Am
kAm“%96 :?4C62D6 :? E6>A6C2EFC6D H2D D@ 5C2>2E:4 E92E H6 H@F=5 92G6 6IA64E65 E@ 92G6 ?6G6C D66? E9:D 6G6?E :? E96 `hfe 4=:>2E6[” D2:5 E96 DEF5J’D =625 2FE9@C %96@5@C6 z66A:?8[ 2=D@ 2 4=:>2E6 D4:6?E:DE 2E E96 r6?EC6 7@C t?G:C@?>6?E2= !@=:4J 2E x>A6C:2= r@==686 {@?5@?] “p?5 :E H@F=5 2=D@ DE:== 92G6 366? G6CJ[ G6CJ C2C6[ 6G6? ab J62CD 28@ :? a__b]”k^Am
k9amr=:>2E6 492?86 :D E96 5C:G:?8 7@C46 369:?5 E96 962Ek^9am
kAm(@C=5 (62E96C pEEC:3FE:@?[ 2 tFC@A6\32D65 4@==23@C2E:G6 @7 D4:6?E:DED H9@ DEF5J E96 42FD6D @7 8=@32= 6IEC6>6 H62E96C 6G6?ED[ 3682? 2DD6DD:?8 :? a_`d E96 6IE6?E E@ H9:49 E9@D6 4@F=5 36 2EEC:3FE65 E@ 4=:>2E6 492?86 42FD65 3J E96 3FC?:?8 @7 7@DD:= 7F6=D DF49 2D 4@2=[ @:= 2?5 82D] %96 @C82?:K2E:@?’D C2A:5 2EEC:3FE:@? DEF5:6D[ :?4=F5:?8 E9:D @?6[ 2C6?’E A66C\C6G:6H65 3FE FD6 A66C\C6G:6H65 >6E9@5@=@8J]k^Am
kAm%96 4FCC6?E DEF5J FD65 @3D6CG65 E6>A6C2EFC6 52E2 2?5 7@C642DED 7@C 2? 2?2=JD:D @7 E96 962E H2G6 E92E DE2CE65 @? yF?6 `g]k^Am
kAmxE 2=D@ 7@F?5 E92E cdT @7 E96 gd_ 4:E:6D 2?2=JK65 24C@DD b_ tFC@A62? 4@F?EC:6D 92G6 3C@<6?[ @C 2C6 6IA64E65 E@ 9:E[ C64@C5D 7@C 962E DEC6DD =6G6=D[ 2 >62DFC6 E92E :?4=F56D 9F>:5:EJ 2?5 E6>A6C2EFC6]k^Am
kAmQxE 5:C64E=J C6=2E6D E@ E96 962E DEC6DD @? E96 9F>2? 3@5J 2?5 @FC 23:=:EJ E@ 4@@= @FCD6=G6D 5@H?[ 2?5 :E’D 2 C62==J 8@@5 >6EC:4 7@C E96 6IA64E65 962=E9 :>A24ED H6 6IA64E E@ D66 7C@> E9:D 962E H2G6[” z66A:?8 D2:5] w62E 2?5 9F>:5:EJ >2<6 7@C 2 52?86C@FD 4@>3:?2E:@? 7@C 9F>2?D]k^Am
kAm&=E:>2E6=J[ E9:D >2C<D E96 >@DE D6G6C6 962E H2G6 E@ 92G6 6G6C 366? C64@C565 :? E9:D C68:@? @7 tFC@A6 2?5 >@DE D6G6C6 9F>:5 962E 6G6?E[ ((p C6D62C496CD D2:5]k^Am
k9amtFC@A6 :D 6DA64:2==J F?6BF:AA65 7@C E96D6 6IEC6>6 E6>A6C2EFC6Dk^9am
kAmtFC@A6 :D E96 H@C=5’D 72DE6DE\H2C>:?8 4@?E:?6?E[ H:E9 E6>A6C2EFC6D :?4C62D:?8 2E EH:46 E96 DA665 2D E96 8=@32= 2G6C286 D:?46 E96 `hg_D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 tFC@A62? &?:@?’D r@A6C?:4FD r=:>2E6 r92?86 $6CG:46] x? 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^962E\562E9D\6FC@A6\4=:>2E6\492?86\962=E9\_gca`hgf2`77f6_56c224fafg2c`52a`QmD6A2C2E6 DEF5Jk^2m =2DE J62C[ ((p C6D62C496CD 7@F?5 E96C6 H6C6 23@FE `[d__ 4=:>2E6 492?86\42FD65 562E9D 5FC:?8 2 tFC@A62? 962E H2G6 =2DE DF>>6C]k^Am
kAm%9:D H66<[ H62E96C 286?4:6D 24C@DD tFC@A6 92G6 :DDF65 C65 2=6CED 23@FE 962E C:D<D[ 2?5 DA@CE:?8 6G6?ED[ D49@@=D[ AF3=:4 EC2?DA@CE2E:@? 2?5 2EEC24E:@?D 92G6 366? =:>:E65 2D 2 C6DF=E] |2?J @7 E96D6 4@F?EC:6D 5@ ?@E 92G6 H:56DAC625 2:C 4@?5:E:@?:?8 @C @E96C :?7C2DECF4EFC6 E@ 244@F?E 7@C H2C>6C 4=:>2E6D] uC2?46[ H9:49 92D 366? 362C:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^962E\H2G6\7C2?46\6FC@A6\4=:>2E6\492?86\C64@C5\g`4bc`h__`ee`bd56e434_7ch`decff3Qm>F49 @7 E96 3CF?Ek^2m @7 E96 962E H2G6[ C64@C565 :ED 9@EE6DE 52J 6G6C E9:D H66<[ 2?5 92D 2=D@ C6A@CE65 c_ 562E9D 7C@> 5C@H?:?8D 2D A6@A=6 D66< 4@@=:?8 C6=:67]k^Am
kAm%96 ((p D4:6?E:DED D2:5 E96 4FCC6?E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^6=\?:?@\4=:>2E6\492?86\7=@@5\5C@F89E\52>286\f627245a347_c256h5f7ddd575cgg`fgQmt= }:?@ H2C>:?8 4J4=6k^2m 5:5 ?@E :?7=F6?46 E9:D 962E]k^Am
kAmtFC@A6 2=D@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^6FC@A6\962EH2G6\E6>A6C2EFC6\C64@C5D\7C2?46\F<\d6_g27fgb_6fa772h744547cg47c7f3dQm6IA6C:6?465 C64@C5\D92EE6C:?8 9:89 E6>A6C2EFC6Dk^2m :? |2J] %JA:42==J[ tFC@A6 5@6D ?@E D66 5C2>2E:42==J H2C>6C H62E96C F?E:= yF=J 2?5 pF8FDE]k^Am
kAm%96 7:?5:?8D @7 E96 DEF5J C6=62D65 uC:52J 2C6 C62D@?23=6[ 3FE >2J 5@H?A=2J 4=:>2E6 492?86VD C@=6 :? E96 962E[ D2:5 |:4926= |2??[ 2 4=:>2E6 D4:6?E:DE 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 !6??DJ=G2?:2 H9@ H2D ?@E :?G@=G65 :? E96 C6D62C49]k^Am
kAm“x7 2?JE9:?8[ E9:D =2E6DE 2DD6DD>6?E — 2?5 2== D:>:=2C 2DD6DD>6?ED — 2C6 24EF2==J F?56C6DE:>2E:?8 E96 C@=6 E92E 4=:>2E6 492?86 :D A=2J:?8 96C6[” D2:5 |2??[ H9@ 92D D6A2C2E6=J DEF5:65 9@H 4=:>2E6 492?86 :D :?4C62D:?8 962E DEC6DD :? }@CE9 p>6C:42]k^Am
kAmz66A:?8[ E96 DEF5J 2FE9@C[ D2:5 E96 tFC@A6 962E H2G6 D9@HD E96 ?665 E@ 252AE :?7C2DECF4EFC6 2?5 3692G:@C E@ 6IEC6>6 E6>A6C2EFC6D]k^Am
kAmQ(6 ?665 E@ 6IA64E E96> E@ 92AA6?] %96J’C6 @?=J 8@:?8 E@ 364@>6 >@C6 7C6BF6?E :? E96 ?62C E6C>[” z66A:?8 D2:5] “(6 2=D@ ?665 E@ 255C6DD E96 D@FC46 @7 4=:>2E6 492?86 2D H6==] p?5 E92E :D G6CJ D:>A=J 42C3@? 6>:DD:@?D 7C@> 3FC?:?8 7@DD:= 7F6=D]”k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmp=6I2 $E] y@9? :D 2? pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD 4=:>2E6 C6A@CE6C] u@==@H 96C @? )i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^EH:EE6C]4@>^2=6I20DE;@9?Qmo2=6I20DE;@9?k^2m] #6249 96C 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i2DE];@9?o2A]@C8Qm2DE];@9?o2A]@C8k^2m]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAm#625 >@C6 @7 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^4=:>2E6\2?5\6?G:C@?>6?EQmp!’D 4=:>2E6 4@G6C286k^2m]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAm%96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD’ 4=:>2E6 2?5 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 4@G6C286 C646:G6D 7:?2?4:2= DFAA@CE 7C@> >F=E:A=6 AC:G2E6 7@F?52E:@?D] p! :D D@=6=J C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C 2== 4@?E6?E] u:?5 p!’D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2A]@C8^23@FE^DE2?52C5D\7@C\H@C<:?8\H:E9\@FED:56\8C@FAD^QmDE2?52C5Dk^2m 7@C H@C<:?8 H:E9 A9:=2?E9C@A:6D[ 2 =:DE @7 DFAA@CE6CD 2?5 7F?565 4@G6C286 2C62D 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2A]@C8^5:D4@G6C^$FAA@CE:?8\p!Qmp!]@C8k^2m]k^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.