Here’s why Europe’s hot summers are becoming an expensive challenge

People are silhouetted against the setting sun in Berlin on June 19, 2026 in Berlin, Germany. A heat wave is currently affecting all of Germany. Florian Gaertner | Photothek | Getty ImagesEurope's increasingly extreme summers are becoming an economic problem, with more frequent heatwaves driving up costs, disrupting businesses and weighing on growth.Huge wildfires have been raging in France and Spain, burning 300,000 acres and forcing the evacuation of 300,000 people. The scenes echo last year's Los Angeles wildfires, when blazes overwhelmed firefighting resources, triggered mass evacuations and destroyed thousands of homes.A World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report looking at Europe in 2025 noted the continent had "seen increased wildfire potential ... with a growing number of larger fires and an extended fire season. Western Europe recorded its hottest June ever this year, per the WMO.French ‌Finance Minister Roland Lescure ‌said on Monday that the latest wildfires were "like a clap of thunder" for the local economy.But the fires are part of a broader economic strain across health care, cooling, transportation, agriculture, insurance and public budgets, caused by rising tem...