'No AC, no escape': Deaths mount as Europe's early summer turns deadly

'Can't live without air conditioning ...'

About 98 percent of households in South Korea have air conditioners — a figure that reflects not only the country's economic development but also the brutal summers its residents endure each year.

Yet even as temperatures surpass 40 degrees Celsius from the very start of summer, there are regions where air conditioner ownership hovers around 20 percent. One of them is France, in Western Europe.

The reason is simple: people there never needed one. But climate change is fundamentally transforming what summer looks like across Europe.

This May and June — before summer has even officially arrived — the heat has already reached historic levels. With temperatures crossing 40 C and the heat index approaching 50 C, daily life is grinding to a halt.

It is often said that European summers, unlike Korea's, are dry enough that staying out of direct sunlight makes the heat bearable. That is partly true — but not when temperatures exceed 40 C.

Deaths are mounting from the unseasonable heat. In some areas, schools have canceled classes and outdoor events have been called off in rapid succession.

Abnormally high temperatures are appearing across the globe this year with unusual frequency. The deeper concern is that such heat is no longer an occasional anomaly — it has become a recurring annual pattern.

According to France's national meteorological service, the country's nationwide average temperature index — a composite of daytime and nighttime readings — stood at 29.2 C as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, ranking among the three hottest days recorded since 1947. The reading also set a new all-time record for June, surpassing the previous mark set on June 30 last year.

France has been gripped by an intense heat wave since June 18. Temperatures exceeded 40 C in some regions beginning June 21, and Paris itself reached a peak of 39 to 40 C Tuesday as the heat wave hit its apex.

What makes the situation more alarming is that the peak of summer has not yet arrived. In Western Europe, as in Korea, July and August are the hottest months. Yet this month has already seen early-summer temperatures running roughly 10 C above seasonal norms — an abnormal heat event that is shattering records across the board.

France's meteorological agency described the current heat wave as "heat never seen before on the French mainland." It added that nationwide average temperatures had reached an exceptional level comparable to the August 2003 heat wave. That year, a catastrophic heat wave killed approximately 15,000 people in France.

The abnormal heat has persisted throughout this year. In May, Western European countries including France, the United Kingdom and Spain recorded all-time high temperatures for the period. The unexpected heat is disrupting everyday life in a widening range of ways.

In France, more than 1,350 schools have closed or adjusted their schedules. Outdoor events and festivals have been canceled or postponed. In areas under red heat alerts, authorities have restricted alcohol consumption in public spaces and limited outdoor sports activities.

The death toll stands at a minimum of 18. Children have been found dead inside vehicles, elderly people have died from heat-related causes, and drowning incidents have occurred as people sought relief near bodies of water.

According to statistics from France's Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME), air conditioner ownership among French households stood at 24 percent as of 2025 — roughly one in four homes. Even then, most units cool only part of the dwelling. Many people are enduring temperatures above 40 C with no air conditioning at all.

Older European buildings compound the problem. Constructed with insulation designed to retain heat against the cold, brick and stone structures absorb and trap solar heat during the day. In a heat wave like the current one, they struggle to release that heat, leaving interiors dangerously hot.

Ways of life built around the climate of the past are no longer working. The very phrase "abnormal heat" may soon become obsolete, as intense heat waves grow into an annual norm rather than an exception. Failure to adapt to a rapidly changing climate will inevitably produce a growing number of victims.

Nor is this a problem confined to France. A 2025 European climate report jointly released by the World Meteorological Organization and Copernicus found that at least 95 percent of Europe recorded above-average annual temperatures last year. Europe is widely described as the fastest-warming continent on Earth.

The United Kingdom, where air conditioner ownership stands at only around 10 percent, has also issued heat warnings since June, with forecasts warning that temperatures in some areas could approach 40 C. Heat alerts have been issued in rapid succession across Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands and other countries, with disruptions to daily life multiplying.

This year in particular, abnormally high temperatures are appearing worldwide. Last month, India and Pakistan in South Asia saw temperatures approach 50 C, with heat-related deaths reported in both countries. Parts of China and Japan also drew attention after experiencing midsummer-like temperatures above 30 C as early as April and May.

South Korea has not been spared. From May 16 to 18, the Gyeongsang region experienced the earliest heat wave on record since measurements began. Gimcheon recorded 36 C and Daegu 34.7 C, with 22 weather stations setting new all-time high temperature records for that period. Forecasts indicate that temperatures for the remainder of this summer are also likely to run above seasonal norms.

Some analysts predict that a "super El Niño" beginning this year could sustain abnormal heat conditions around the world through next year. The concern is that above-average sea surface temperatures in the Pacific could drive widespread changes in temperature and precipitation globally.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has officially announced the formation of an El Niño this year, saying it is likely to peak toward year's end and continue affecting conditions into next year. El Niño does not merely raise temperatures — it significantly increases the likelihood of extreme and unpredictable weather events, including intense localized downpours.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in a report released last month, said global average temperatures over the next five years are likely to remain at or near record levels. "An El Niño event is forecast toward the end of 2026," the WMO said, "and 2027 is likely to be a record-breaking year."

“올해 내내 에어컨 켜겠네” 11월까지 지독한 ‘더위 폭풍’ 예고…이번 여름 각오해야 [지구, 뭐래?]

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