Heat disrupts summer travel and routines
This summer's widespread heat waves, driven by burning of oil, gas and coal and a supersized El Niño, have pushed temperatures and extreme weather across many regions, from near 40°C in parts of western Europe to NOAA's hottest contiguous-US month in July. Globally 2026 is already among the hottest years on record and could become the hottest by year end. The heat is changing behavior — altering travel plans, shifting work hours, prompting advisories and raising electricity bills — while revealing unequal access to cooling and increasing immediate health and infrastructure risks.
Extreme heat is changing summer behavior and raising health and energy risks
Context
Heat waves have come more often this year. Scientists link the heat to human-caused warming and El Niño. More extreme heat and storms could follow this year.
The full analysis
19 dimensions on this story — world impact, market read, and what happens next.
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