There’s a deadly heat wave in Europe. Experts are begging media outlets to stop making it look fun

Europe is experiencing a record-breaking heat wave, with "red weather warnings" issued across multiple countries including Britain, Germany, and Portugal, leading to school closures and numerous fatalities. Temperatures are projected to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of France, Spain, and the United Kingdom, with experts warning these extreme conditions could persist for days. The high humidity is expected to create dangerously high heat indexes, and the U.K.'s Met Office has warned of "tropical" nights where temperatures remain above 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit), posing a significant health risk as a majority of European homes lack air conditioning. British officials declared a red weather warning through Thursday, June 25, citing potential "population-wide adverse health effects," including "serious illness or danger to life." Despite the severity, some media outlets have published images of people enjoying beaches and fountains, which climate experts argue fail to convey the danger and may lead the public to underestimate the risks of extreme heat. Over the weekend, thirteen people drowned across France, with authorities investigating the deaths of two children found deceased in a vehicle amid the heat wave in Carpentras, southern France, on June 22, 2026.