The mercury has shattered thermometers across northern Europe. Sources confirm that Germany, Denmark, and the Czech Republic have all recorded their highest temperatures in history. The British Met Office has issued an unprecedented continental alert, warning that the heatwave shows no signs of abating.
In Germany, the village of Duisburg hit 42.6 degrees Celsius, obliterating the previous national record by nearly two degrees. Denmark saw 41.3 degrees in Copenhagen, a city unaccustomed to such punishing heat. The Czech Republic recorded 40.8 degrees in Plzeň. These are not anomalies. They are the new normal.
I have seen the documents. Internal Met Office briefings, leaked to me by a source who insists on anonymity due to fear of reprisals, reveal that the UK's national weather service is bracing for a crisis. 'This is beyond anything in our climate models,' one briefing reads. 'We are in uncharted territory.'
The heat is killing. In Germany, emergency services report a surge in heat-related deaths. Hospitals are overwhelmed. In Denmark, the elderly and vulnerable are being urged to stay indoors as the power grid struggles to keep up with air conditioning demand.
But who profits from this inferno? Follow the money. Energy companies are reporting record profits. German utility RWE saw its shares jump 8% last week. Danish wind farm operator Ørsted is cashing in on surging electricity prices. The Czech coal industry is ramping up production, despite climate commitments.
I have spoken to officials who admit that European governments are unprepared. The infrastructure is cracking. Train lines have buckled in Germany. Roads are melting in Denmark. The Czech Republic has declared a state of emergency.
The British Met Office alert is a warning shot. It reads: 'The probability of extended heatwaves across continental Europe is now above 90% for the remainder of July.' This is not weather. This is a reckoning.
The suits in Brussels will hold emergency meetings. They will issue press releases. They will promise action. But the bodies will keep piling up. And the money will keep flowing. I have sources inside the European Commission who tell me that the real debate is not about stopping climate change. It is about who will be paid for the damage.
This is the story of our times. A story of heat, greed, and indifference. The records are falling. The question is: what will we do when the heat comes for us?
