Is Summer Becoming Unbearable Everywhere?

The impact of climate change around the globe

Sketches by author: Cities heating up; Ljubljana, Venice, Siem Reap, Rome, Paris.

This is The Metamorphosis Map, where I explore change in life and at work, through the lenses of my passions: travel, sketching, culture, nature and learning.

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It’s getting hot in here

In recent years, I’ve been dreading summer.

It’s starting to feel not just uncomfortable, but dangerous.

I always used to love every season. With their corresponding changes in light, colour, texture, and temperature. But now, no matter where I go, summer is becoming a problem, not a pleasure.

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Here are a few heat-related stories from the countries I’ve lived in:

🇬🇧 UK

Even Blighty is feeling the heat of late. Many British people rejoice on a sunny day, and rush outside to enjoy it. But the country is not set up to deal with heat, and that kind of relaxed attitude to the sun can be disastrous. People burn, overheat and dehydrate easily, and infrastructure like rail lines and office air conditioning fail.

Heatwaves are still relatively rare, but many people are still in denial about climate change. I notice almost every front garden has been paved over to provide parking. What used to be covered in grass, gravel, and roses is now tarmac or concrete. It feels hotter and there’s little shade. But it’s not just about comfort. The current heatwave is expected to kill 600 people.

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🇫🇷 France

When I think back to childhood holidays in the middle and south of France, I remember how effective passive cooling can be. We used to stay in village gîtes with thick, stone walls and small, shuttered windows. Even in the midday sun, it was cool indoors without air conditioning, or a fan.

More recently, the capital has been developing sustainable projects, focusing on increasing pedestrian and bicycle and reducing vehicular traffic. Paris has introduced limited traffic zones (LTZ) in the city centre and prioritises cars with multiple occupants on the ring road. The results have been impressive, with a reduction of particulate pollution of about 50%, according to Airparif, an independent organization that tracks air quality.

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🇮🇹 Italy

Countries like Italy are used to hot weather. It is part of the appeal at the coast where it’s easier to cool off in water and with a breeze. But in recent years the sea has become hotter, particularly the Mediterranean. In 2024, the average surface temperature was about 29C. This has a negative effect on marine life, with mass fish die-offs and increased algae. My niece and nephew experienced swimming in “sea mucus” last summer and it wasn’t pleasant.

Inland, the atmosphere can feel worse, especially in crowds of tourists. In 2022, more than 18,000 people died in Italy due to heat-related illnesses.

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🇯🇵 Japan

Hot, humid summers are normal in Japan. When I lived there in a wooden house without air conditioning, I used to go to the local 7-Eleven to cool down. Konbini (コンビニ) or convenience stores offer a lot more than food and drink in Japan.

But, recently, the heat has been causing more problems than usual. Japanese people have always had a sensible attitude to the sun, covering up with hats, long sleeves and parasols. Now they are also turning to heat-releasing, ultraviolet (UV) and heat-blocking fabrics. But will technology be enough to survive if “once in a century” heat becomes an annual occurrence?

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🇦🇺 Australia

Oz is on the front line of climate change. It suffers extremely high temperatures, flash floods and forest fires. These are destroying its unique flora and fauna as well as threatening people.

I thought taking a dive to see Great Barrier Reef in the 1990s would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I didn’t realise that I might live to see its total destruction. Many of the vibrant colours that I witnessed are now bleached white due to climate change damage.

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🇰🇭 Cambodia

There are two seasons in Cambodia - hot and dry, and hot and wet. The country experiences some of the highest temperatures in the world. Living there in the 2000s, we relied constantly on fans, with judicious use of air con to take the edge of the hottest part of the day. At that time, most Cambodian people didn’t have access to electricity, so they had to manage without any cooling. Since 2023, 95% of the population are on the grid.

But the dangers of climate change are many in a developing country like Cambodia - to people, dwellings, crops and infrastructure - and the weakest always suffer the most.

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🇸🇬 Singapore

Like many richer parts of Asia, Singapore knows how to manage heat. Air conditioning is extremely effective and widespread. When I lived there in 2006, I had to take a cardigan even in 30 degrees plus, because the air was freezing indoors. But traditional methods are also available, if less widespread. We once stayed with a friend in an old-style Singaporean house with open sides. It allowed a through-breeze which felt better than air con.

Singapore is ahead of the curve on sustainability with urban greening and traffic limitations and is developing new cooling solutions as part of its Green Plan.

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🇷🇸 Serbia

Serbia has hot summers, which is just as the locals like it. Despite being landlocked since the demise of Yugoslavia, the country has a distinctly Mediterranean feel. But Serbia is experiencing faster than average temperature rises. Mortality rates are spiking in the summer months, especially in the big cities, which tend to absorb and store heat.

Swimming and cycling on the city island of Ada Ciganlija used to be our saviour on a hot weekend. But it’s not enough to cool over a million inhabitants during the working week. And Belgrade is often choked with traffic.

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🇸🇮 Slovenia

In another part of ex-Yugoslavia, the air is usually cleaner and the vegetation greener. Slovenia is an Alpine country, so cooler air is never too far away.

But this summer the grass in Ljubljana is dry and yellow. It looks more like autumn with shriveled dried leaves on the ground. And with 60% of the country covered in trees, the risk of forest fire is frightening.

☀️What’s it like where you are?

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What can we do?

With any transformation, both top down and bottom up action is needed.

While we pressure governments and global bodies to act, we can also take our own small but significant measures in the meantime:

🚲 Walk, cycle or use public transport;

🌹Re-wild your garden, turn tarmac into grass or green paving, plant trees and bushes;

🚌 Make transportation decisions based on facts for each journey, not sunk costs or habits;

🏡 Use passive cooling techniques at home or in the office (shades/shutters, open windows early);

🔋Switch to green energy sources;

🚗 Swap combustion engine car ownership to electric car sharing; and

🛍️ Limit consumption and waste.

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The scale of transformation necessary to survive this crisis is massive. Our biggest challenge is people, not technology.

We all need to act now.

Life is a journey and everyone’s map looks different. 🗺️