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A Warming Europe

In the summer of 2003, an intense heat wave spread across Europe. Whilst northern countries experienced temperatures usually reserved for the Mediterranean, the rest of Europe wilted under the heat. Farmers lost billions, forest fires in Portugal caused US $1.6 billion worth of damage and up to 52,000 people lost their lives across Europe.

If climate change continues at its current rate then the 2003 heat wave could be considered the norm for summer months. Many regions are likely to suffer the consequences of dry, hot summers, especially with increasing wildfires such as the ones that engulfed Greece in 2007 and longer periods of drought. However, it should be noted that the number of deaths resulting from cold winters will be reduced substantially.