Europe is enduring a record-breaking summer marked by multiple severe heatwaves. Southern and Western Europe—particularly Italy, France, and Spain—are experiencing peaks surpassing 35°C to 45°C (95°F to 113°F). Over half of the continent’s population has been exposed to extreme heat advisories during successive waves.
At least 35,000 excess deaths have been recorded across Europe during the 2026 summer heatwaves, largely due to the fact that only about 20% of European households have air conditioning.
In this day and age, air conditioning is available to everyone, but the EU, in its wisdom, would rather let people die from the heat.
The highest recorded temperature in Europe for 2026 so far reached 46.5°C (115.7°F) in Noto, Sicily, Italy, on July 22.
The highest temperatures are recorded in Death Valley during the Fourth of July holiday. Central Park, Manhattan, 102 degrees. Washington D.C. 103, smashing the all-time record set back in 1898. Atlantic City spiked to 106. The high humidity made places feel hotter than they actually were. Baltimore’s thermometer reached 101, but the human body experienced temperatures above 116 degrees. Death Valley reached the highest temperature in the US, an estimated high temperature of 112°F on July 4, 2026, according to the AccuWeather Monthly Forecast.
At least 30 died from heat-related injuries over the weekend, including dehydration, strokes, and stress-induced heart attacks.
22 deaths took place in New Jersey alone, said the state’s health commissioner.
Unfortunately, many of these individuals were found in homes without air conditioning. A few were outside their residence.
The Hottest Temperatures in the United States
It was 113 years ago that the small town of Death Valley, California, recorded the hottest natural temperature on Earth, 134 degrees Fahrenheit. The coldest recorded temperature in Death Valley is 15 °F (-10 °C), set at Furnace Creek on January 8, 1913.
Death Valley is famous for the Donner Party. The Donner Party was a group of 87 American pioneers- men, women, and children – over half were children. They were taking a shortcut to California during the Gold Rush. They were looking for a better life.
Over half were children. They became snowbound in the Sierra Nevada mountains during the winter of 1846–1847, with some members resorting to cannibalism to survive. They left too late to avoid the snow.
Of the original 87, 47 survived.
Death Valley goes from extremely hot temperatures in the summer to extremely cold in the winter.
While the highest recorded air temperature in Death Valley is 134°F (56.7°C), direct solar radiation on dark asphalt causes road temperatures to soar well above the surrounding air. This extreme heat can cause severe skin burns in mere moments.
A French tourist who was lost in Death Valley died on August 17 this year. Pierre Michel Formosa, a 68-year-old tourist from France, died in Death Valley National Park on August 17, 2026, during 116°F heat after his car became stuck in the mud.
He and a companion were driving on a back road when their car got stuck in the mud. They started walking to the Ranger station. Pierre couldn’t continue, so his friend walked on. When his friend returned with help, Pierre was dead.
An average of four people die every year in Death Valley.