Europe's 2026 summer: burning, drying out, struggling to adapt

The Earth is getting warmer because of pollution, and Europe is warming faster than most other places.

In the summer of 2026, Europe had very hot weather, long dry spells, and big wildfires.

Fires burned in Spain, France, Greece, Croatia, Germany, and even the United Kingdom.

In London, temperatures reached levels close to the hottest days ever recorded there.

Many people had to leave their homes because the fires came too close.

Rivers like the Rhine and the Danube became very low, which is bad for boats, farms, and electricity made from water.

Scientists say pollution from people makes these hot and dangerous conditions much more likely.

Countries are trying to prepare better, but scientists say we also need to stop producing so much pollution.

That way, summers like this one do not become the normal thing for the future.