How heatwaves impact our lives | DW Documentary

Heatwaves. They are occurring more and more frequently, lasting longer and becoming more intense. In Europe, temperature records are constantly being broken. One question has scientists particularly concerned: How hot will it get in the future?

"During a heatwave with peak temperatures of 45 degrees, we expect an increase in excess mortality of 30 to 40 percent in Seville,” says physicist José María Martín-Olalla. He heads a project that aims to make the inhabitants of the Andalusian metropolis more aware of the danger posed by heat. One strategy: giving impending heatwaves names.

Such measures are becoming increasingly important, as we begin to realize that we have underestimated heatwaves and their consequences for far too long. Although our bodies can fall back on a number of cooling mechanisms, we are reaching our limits faster than previously expected -- as a human physiologist from the Dutch research organization TNO explains.

The thermal load is particularly high in cities. The record summer of 2003 in Paris, for example, led to apocalyptic conditions. According to climate experts, temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius cannot be ruled out for the French capital in the future.

But heatwaves also pose enormous challenges outside of cities. In Andalusia, coupled with prolonged periods of drought, they are endangering harvests. And temperatures are also rising dangerously in the Mediterranean.

This film explores the diverse effects heatwaves have on our lives and presents adaptation strategies. What impact have heatwaves had on our lives so far? How will heatwaves develop in the future? And what adaptation options are available to us in the face of the new heat reality? These are urgent questions to which scientists in Europe are seeking answers.

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