The summer of 2026 was one to remember — though for many people, it was for all the worst reasons. June and July were Western Europe’s hottest months on record, and more people than usual died during the heat wave. Many of the deaths were in countries such as France and Germany, where major heat waves are historically rare and the populations are underprepared.
In the United States, the Lower 48 states had their hottest July on record, beating out a Dust Bowl record from 1936. Almost half of the states experienced drought. Some reservoirs on the Colorado River, the water source for 40 million people in the West, hit record lows.
The scariest thing is that this may become the new normal. In this issue, we investigate what’s driving the scorching weather and how people might adapt to survive. The residents of Kearny, Ariz., are the vanguards.
The town’s supply of water from the dwindling Gila River, a tributary of the Colorado, was cut by 87 percent this year. Residents have embraced strict water use restrictions, and that will get them through, staff writer Nikk Ogasa reports. But there are no guarantees for next year.
The latest research suggests that the megadrought that has persisted for decades across the Southwest might not relent anytime soon. Scientists are working on ways to help people adapt to extreme heat. Human bodies learn and adjust with repeated exposure to heat, freelance journalist Katarina Zimmer reports.
But older people and those with chronic conditions are more vulnerable to heatstroke and related illnesses. Physiologists are now working with older volunteers to see if their bodies can be heat-proofed in advance with simple techniques like sitting in a hot bath. And if those threats aren’t enough to give you the heebie-jeebies, humankind could also be facing peril from space.
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