European Power Grids and First Nations Communities Buckle Under Extreme Heat
June 25, 2026
Record-breaking heatwaves across France, Britain, and remote Australian First Nations communities are exposing the fragility of public infrastructure and the uneven distribution of state protection. As Paris courts weigh landmark climate liability cases, the physical reality of power outages and the abandonment of migrants in urban heat islands reveal a widening gap between institutional scientific expertise and the lived experience of climate collapse.
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Dr Emma Yhnell on the challenge of changing science, changing our minds
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify Listen on Pocket Casts In an era where scientific expertise is heavily scrutinized and algorithms trap us in ideological bubbles, how do we create the conditions for people to truly open their minds? In this episode of Changed My Mind, we’re
- structural power
- geopolitics
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Migrants left to endure deadly Paris heat with little shelter or aid
Hundreds of migrants in Paris are left exposed as a heatwave sweeps Europe.
- geopolitics
- structural power
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Europe faces another day of extreme heat after more temperature records set
France under extreme heat alert as 63 million endure 30+C temperatures, with widespread power outages in Brittany.
- geopolitics
- structural power
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Extreme heat is harming remote First Nations communities. It’s time we listen to them
Patsperspective/Getty In remote Australia, First Nations communities battle extreme heat each summer. In January 2026 alone, the town of Alice Springs (Mparntwe) endured 20 days of temperatures above 40°C. This prolonged heatwave – defined as a period of unusually hot weather – can have long-standin…
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Summer’s new normal is a hazard that’s testing Europe’s climate resilience
It is only June, and Europe is already baking through its second extreme heatwave in two months. Temperatures have topped 44 degrees Celsius in parts of the continent. Heat alerts are now in place for several countries, with six at the most severe red level. France placed 72 of its 96 departments un…
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Europe is battling a record-breaking heatwave. What’s making it so severe?
Sweltering temperatures are shattering records across Europe, as the continent battles a deadly heatwave. On Tuesday and Wednesday, France endured its hottest days in history, with western regions reaching highs of between 39°C and 43°C. Wednesday was the United Kingdom’s warmest June day on record,…
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Scorching heatwaves, torrential rain – all in a matter of days. It’s not just bad luck
After a heatwave, we crave relief, not more extreme weather. But increasingly, we have to contend with a succession of extremes – ricocheting from extreme heat to intense storms to flooding waterways. We saw this in the Victorian Otways region last summer, when extreme heat, fires and floods all occ…
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European heatwave, scorching weather triggers UK ‘red’ warning
Britain is facing its hottest June weather on record as a blistering heatwave spreads across Europe.
- geopolitics
- structural power
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As temperatures soar, Paris court is set to rule on landmark climate change case