EUROPE'S MAY HEATWAVE EXPOSES HEALTH AND GRID STRAIN

A severe early heatwave across western Europe has broken May temperature records and forced governments, utilities, hospitals, and event organizers to confront summer-level risks before summer has officially begun. AP reported that France and the United Kingdom saw record May heat, while French officials reported deaths linked to the heatwave, including fatalities at amateur sporting events. Reuters separately reported seven heat-related deaths in France as the country recorded its hottest May day on record.

The effects are now visible in infrastructure, not only temperature charts. Reuters reported Thursday that a heatwave in Turin, Italy, triggered blackouts across parts of the city, with local utility Iren pointing to thermal stress on cables and an aging grid. Turin's mayor said the outages exposed the need for more investment and maintenance, while Iren is pursuing a €515 million modernization plan expected to run through 2030.

Public-health planning is also being tested. Le Monde reported that French running event organizers are being left to decide whether to cancel or modify races as temperatures approach 35°C, after two recent deaths likely linked to extreme heat during amateur events. Some races were cancelled, while others moved start times, increased medical support, or added heat precautions.

The broader concern is that Europe is facing dangerous heat earlier and more often. Heat is now a health, infrastructure, labour, and public-safety issue — not a seasonal footnote. Governments across the continent activated emergency cooling centres in public buildings, while meteorologists warned that early extreme-heat events of this kind are becoming a more regular feature of the European climate and will require long-term adaptation in grid infrastructure, city planning, and emergency response.