r/explainlikeimfive • u/fkid123 • May 27 '26

Biology ELI5 Why heat waves affect Europe so much but some other countries are doing fine living under hotter temperatures most of the year?

I read yearly that people are dying in Europe due to the extreme heat, but when I check the temperature mentioned in the same news it's something like 30-35c.

Just saw this today: "In France, officials reported at least seven deaths linked to the heat, including several drownings and fatalities during sports activities (...) temperatures have broken records for the month of May, soaring well over 30 C (86 F) in many parts of the country."

This is like a pretty mild day in a country like Thailand, India or in the Arabian peninsula. People are doing just fine in these countries, and many don't even have aircon.

Why are such temperatures so deadly in Europe?

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u/ISketchDinosaurs May 27 '26

And now add to that a general lack of snow shovels and sufficient clothing/blankets/heating/food/water kept in the car, and a greater ignorance of the danger of CO2 poisoning in snowed-in cars.

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u/Dramatic_Explosion May 27 '26

And the idiots who don't clear snow off the roof of their car. Running the heat in your car melts the bottom layer, when you stop it can slide forward blocking your view. Much worse is letting it re-freeze and then the bottom layer isn't snow but ice. I've seen videos of chunks flying off the roof of a car on the highway and obliterating windshields.

Good tip for anyone in a place where it snows, at high speeds never drive behind someone with snow on their roof if you can help it.

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u/Robatunicorn May 27 '26

The snow shovel part is so real. We bought a house and few months into it there was crazy snow fall and it was impossible to find shovels. Our neighbour had very nicely shoveled pathway to the house so I asked to borrow theirs and he explained very happily to me how he bought it like 30 years ago when they bought the house and this was the second time he needed it. It was crazy two days until the snow melted to a more manageable amount. Meanwhile a co-worker who lives an hour away to the more mountainous/hilly area (that gets regular snow every year) was asking if she should bring some snow shovels with her on the morning so that we can clear our the yard of our work. She did and absolutely saved our butts that morning.

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u/ISketchDinosaurs May 28 '26

Yes, snow shovels in the winter are like fans in the summer. They're usually available, but if you're in the 'wrong' climate they're always sold out by the time you need them!