The world is adapting to extreme heat — but not nearly fast enough

This summer set heat records worldwide. Western Europe endured five heat waves that dried out soil, fueled wildfires, shrank rivers, and led to at least 35,000 excess deaths in the first four heat waves alone, across about half the continent. The World Health Organization called this a "dress rehearsal" for worse to come, as El Niño (a warming climate pattern that recurs every few years) combines with rising greenhouse gases to push temperatures higher. A new United Nations report found the world will almost certainly pass the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming limit set under the 2015 Paris Agreement, with the best-case scenario now topping out around 1.8 degrees. Scientists expect 2027 could be the hottest year on record.

Some places have gotten better at protecting people. After a deadly 2003 heat wave, France built a system of cooling centers, air-conditioned nursing homes, and check-ins on elderly residents, which has measurably reduced deaths from later heat waves. But researchers say adaptation everywhere is falling behind the pace of warming. One study found current adaptation efforts prevent only about 1 in 10 heat deaths that would otherwise occur. Warning systems, designed around past extremes, are also being overwhelmed by temperatures beyond what they were built to handle.

For homeowners, the takeaway is less about a specific rebate or program and more about a trend: extreme heat is becoming more frequent and more severe, and cooling, insulation, and home resilience are likely to matter more in the years ahead, regardless of where you live.