Europe is currently facing an unusual heatwave with record-breaking temperatures, high death rates, and widespread damage to infrastructure.

歐洲目前正正面對一場異常的熱浪，氣溫創下紀錄，死亡率高且基礎設施廣泛受損。

The World Weather Attribution group stated that this event was caused by human-led climate change, creating a 'heat dome' effect. This has led to record temperatures in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized that Europe is the fastest-warming continent, heating up twice as fast as the global average. Consequently, the WHO reported over 1,300 extra deaths since June 21, with France recording at least 1,000 additional deaths in just three days, mostly among people aged 65 and older.

世界天氣歸因組織表示，此次事件是由人類主導的氣候變遷所引起，產生了「熱穹頂」效應。這導致德國、波蘭、捷克與瑞士出現紀錄性高溫。世界衛生組織 (WHO) 強調，歐洲是暖化最快的大陸，升溫速度是全球平均值的兩倍。因此，WHO 報告指出自 6 月 21 日起增加了 1,300 多例死亡，而法國在短短三天內就記錄到至少 1,000 例額外死亡，多數為 65 歲或以上的長者。

Many of these problems are worse because of how buildings were designed. In the past, European building codes focused on keeping heat inside during winter, which means houses and public buildings are not good at staying cool. The International Energy Agency (IEA) noted that only about 19% of European homes have air conditioning, compared to 90% in the United States. This difference is due to cultural habits, laws protecting old buildings, and high energy costs. Furthermore, there is a political debate about cooling; some officials believe air conditioning is necessary to protect people, while others argue it increases greenhouse gas emissions and makes cities even hotter.

許多問題之所以惡化，是因為建築設計的原因。過去歐洲的建築規範側重於冬季如何將熱量保留在室內，這意味著房屋與公共建築不擅長保持涼爽。國際能源署 (IEA) 指出，僅約 19% 的歐洲家庭安裝有空調，而美國則高達 90%。這種差異源於文化習慣、保護古蹟的法律以及高昂的能源成本。此外，關於冷卻問題存在政治爭論；部分官員認為安裝空調是保護民眾的必要措施，而其他人則主張這會增加溫室氣體排放，使城市變得更加炎熱。

Infrastructure damage has been severe. High temperatures caused concrete to break on German highways and rail tracks to bend in Leipzig and other areas. Power grids in Ukraine and other regions became unstable because of high demand and the need to cool nuclear plants. Additionally, the heat caused other disasters, including wildfires in Germany, Albania, and Croatia, as well as violent storms and flash floods in Italy and France.

基礎設施損壞嚴重。高溫導致德國高速公路的混凝土破裂，萊比錫及其他地區的鐵軌發生彎曲。烏克蘭及其他地區的電網由於需求量大且核電廠需要冷卻而變得不穩定。此外，酷暑還引發了其他災害，包括德國、阿爾巴尼亞與克羅地亞的山火，以及義大利與法國的強烈風暴和閃電洪水。

The continent remains on high alert as the heat moves eastward, with more temperature increases expected in early July.

由於熱浪向東移動，預計 7 月初氣溫將進一步升高，該大陸仍處於高度警戒狀態。