Two in Three Children in Europe Face Extreme Heatwaves

Children’s exposure to extreme temperatures rose alarmingly during the first six months of 2026. Children’s rights organization Save the Children reports that, in the first half of this year alone, the number affected was three times higher than during the whole of 2025.

During the first six and a half months of 2026, extreme heatwaves affected around two-thirds of children in Western Europe. This is the highest level recorded since 2003.

In Germany, more children were exposed to extreme temperatures in the first six months of this year alone than in the previous five years combined. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, around 10 million children were affected during the same period, a higher figure than in any single year over the past three decades.

Children are at greater risk from heat because their bodies are still developing and cannot regulate temperature as easily. As a result, they may experience fluid imbalances, high body temperature, kidney problems and respiratory illnesses.

The impact has also been felt in the education system. To protect children from dangerous temperatures, some schools in France and Britain closed during June.

Save the Children warns that the figures for the full year could prove even more concerning, given that the data so far also include the cooler winter and spring months.

Experts are calling for climate action to be accelerated, including replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy. According to Save the Children, limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius could protect millions of children from exceptional exposure to extreme temperatures over the course of their lives.