Simple steps to stop people dying from heatwaves
As much of the world roasts, don’t despair

WHEN A HEATWAVE in Europe killed more than 70,000 people in 2003, it was seen as a once-in-a-millennium event. Today, experts say, such blistering heat can be expected once a decade. Worldwide, last year the months of June, July and August were the hottest on record. August 2023 was on average 1.5°C hotter than the same month between 1850 and 1900. This year could be even worse.
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Hot and bothered”
Leaders June 29th 2024
More from Leaders

How to respond to the riots on Britain’s streets
The violence demands robust policing, but it also requires cool heads

Is the big state back in Britain?
The risk is not too much interventionism, but too little audacity

How to make tourism work for locals and visitors alike
Holidays don’t have to be hell
Genomic medicines can cost $3m a dose. How to make them affordable
The treatments are marvels of innovation. Their pricing must be inventive, too
Chinese companies are winning the global south
Their expansion abroad holds important lessons for Western incumbents
The Middle East must step back from the brink
That still means starting with a ceasefire in Gaza