This summer, Europe’s weather has triggered widespread consternation and worry. Weeks without rain, record-breaking temperatures, failed harvests, widespread fires and thousands of heat-related deaths have been difficult to ignore, for the public, for investors — and for politicians.
As the natural weather phenomenon El Niño builds into one of the strongest ever recorded, meteorologists are now looking ahead to next summer. While it’s too early to forecast exactly what will happen, the UK’s Met Office is already saying that 2027 is likely to rival 2024 as Europe’s hottest year on record. Even if that doesn’t come to pass, climate change means future heat waves will be longer, more intense and more frequent than the record-breaking ones we have now.
