Europe is sitting at the intersection of several independent physical processes, all of which happen to be pushing in the same direction. Because of the increasing Arctic temperature, the temperature difference between the Arctic and the European continent is gradually narrowing. “In the European region, heat stress is the leading cause of climate-related death in the region,” said WHO Regional Director Dr. Hans Kluge. Due to global warming, these very high temperatures are now expected regularly during the summer months in many European capitals. During the summer of 2022, more than 60,000 people across Europe died as a result of extreme heat.