A punishing heatwave has gripped much of Europe, with France at the epicenter. Norwegian author and writer Vibeke Knoop Rachline, based in Paris, described a city “on the edge” due to the extreme temperatures, calling it “completely terrible.”
The French have turned to an unusual but scientifically grounded method to cope: painting their windows with chalk. The white coating reflects sunlight, reducing the amount of heat entering homes — a low-tech adaptation to an increasingly high-stakes climate reality.
The World Meteorological Organization has warned that the heatwave is now spreading eastward toward Greece, where temperatures are expected to range from 3°C to 10°C above the weekly seasonal average. The escalating temperatures have raised alarm across the continent, particularly in countries where residential air conditioning remains uncommon.
