How lemurs (and humans) are cooling off in Europe’s record heat wave

27 Jun 2019

A massive, potentially deadly heat wave has settled in over Europe this week. Temperatures in some cities have topped 105 degrees Fahrenheit, breaking records. It may get worse, as Vox’s Umair Irfan explains, with the heat rising to 110 degrees by Friday in some locations.

The heat is widespread: There’s nowhere to beat the heat from Portugal to Poland. In Spain, it’s exacerbating a dangerous 10,000-acre wildfire. Elsewhere across the continent, officials have declared heat warnings, canceled events, and set up cooling stations for people to cool down.

During any summer, such heat waves are possible. But in a warming world, more are expected.

This week, Europeans are finding temporary relief by bathing in public fountains, eating frozen foods, and trying to make the best of the oppressive weather conditions. Photojournalists have been documenting what the heat wave has looked like across the continent. And their images show how joy and hardship can coexist in a sweltering world.