The heatwave is brutal and deadly, with France as epicenter. Temperatures reached 111°F in western France and 109°F in Paris. UK set monthly records at 99°F. Scores of deaths in Spain, France, and across Europe. Activities like factory work, sleeping, and outdoor leisure are limited or banned.

The heat dome compressed air and hovered over France for over a week, pushing temperatures to historic levels. This is out of the realm of typical summer weather.

No single policy will fix this. It's a cascade of failures: infrastructure built centuries ago not designed for these temperatures. Europe is the fastest-warming continent at double the global average. Systemic failures across health systems, transit (tube is a furnace), real estate prices, and energy. Rivers in France too warm for nuclear cooling; wind speeds reduced; UK warned of power shortages.

Climate scientists say this is not one tipping point but multiple factors failing at once. Every facet of life and work is affected.