Can Europe’s historic cities survive a warming climate?

Heatwaves are forcing the continent to choose between preserving the past and adapting for the future.

xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo. A pedestrian shelters from the sun during a hot day in London, Britain, on June 25, 2026. The Met Office has issued a red warning for extreme heat, as a heatwave continues to grip much of the country [Andy Rain/EPA]This week was London Climate Action Week, an international event that brought researchers, leaders and activists to the British capital to discuss climate change. As delegates gathered in the city, they experienced the nature of the problem first-hand: temperatures in parts of the United Kingdom topped 36 degrees Celsius (97F), and London itself sweltered. The city clearly struggled to cope, as exemplified by an event scheduled to discuss extreme heat being cancelled because of the extreme heat.

A heatwave has engulfed Europe. The physical phenomenon is well understood. The jet stream dips to the west, allowing hot air from North Africa to make its way over the continent. An area of high pressure then strengthens, staying in place for days, creating a dome that traps hot air and suppresses cloud formation. Temperatures increase. Europe is turning into an oven. And the fact that it is consistently breaking records is a strong indication that the long-term warming of Europe —the continent that is warming the fastest— is having an effect.