Building for 131°F: Europe races to protect its infrastructure from a ‘quiet catastrophe’

On the Eurostar platform at St Pancras International station in London, Great Britain, on 1 November 2025.Stephane Mouchmouche | Afp | Getty ImagesGripped by drought, raging wildfires and a summer of weather extremes, countries across Europe are scrambling to address the widely underestimated climate challenge of extreme heat.Supercharged by the climate crisis, a series of record-breaking heat waves in recent months has wreaked havoc across large swaths of the world's fastest-warming continent. Severe infrastructure stress brought on by the searing heat has forced companies and policymakers to respond.Eurostar, for example, recently announced that it is preparing to for unprecedented heat across Europe with a new fleet of trains designed to withstand temperatures of up to 55 degrees Celsius (131 degrees Fahrenheit). "A decision has been taken to equip our new fleet of up to 50 Celestia trains with air conditioning capable of operating in temperatures up to 55 degrees," a Eurostar spokesperson told CNBC by email. "These trains will enter service in 2031 and run into the 2060s so it's essential to be prepared for the future." The high-speed train operator, which runs some of the long...