Why is Europe’s 40 degree heatwave more dangerous than India’s 48°C? What is the science behind it?

Europe Heatwave 2026: As soon as the name of summer comes, the picture of India comes to the fore, where in many cities the mercury crosses 48 degrees and sometimes even 50 degrees. In such a situation, when heatwave alerts are issued in Europe as soon as 40 degree temperature is recorded and news of deaths start coming, then the question arises in the minds of many people that after all, India can withstand 48 degrees, but why is only 40 degrees considered so dangerous in Europe?

Actually, the answer is not hidden only in the temperature shown on the thermometer. How dangerous the heat of any place will be depends on the weather there, humidity, structure of houses, availability of AC, electricity-water system and the adaptation of people’s body towards that weather. This is the reason why a heatwave of 40 degrees in Europe can sometimes prove to be as or even more harmful than 48 degrees in India.

Why does 40°C feel hotter in Europe than 48°C in India?

The debate started when Umed Pratap Singh shared a post on X asking, Is 43°C in Europe different from 43°C in India? What is there to cry so much about? Here, the temperature even reaches 48°C.

Is 43°C in Europe different than 43°C in India?

What’s so rona dhona about? Here, the temperature even touches 48°C.

— Umed Pratap Singh (@umedpratapsingh) June 27, 2026

One user wrote that I think it is mostly about geography and adaptation to the weather. India is closer to the equator, while most of Europe is at higher latitudes. Temperatures of 40–42°C are more common in many parts of India, while it is less common in Europe. So this is whining.

Another user said it’s about conditioning. A man from Russia, who lives a lot in winter, finds the winters in Himachal very mild and roams around in vest and shorts. Similarly, we are used to extreme summers, and Europeans are not.

How home design is making Europe’s heat worse?

European homes were mostly built to keep people warm during long, harsh winters, not to keep people cool during extreme summers. Thick walls and heavy insulation, small windows and little airflow, and no real AC in many places. The result is that heat can be trapped inside, making the space feel more like an oven than a shelter during a heatwave.

Now, because due to climate change the temperature is repeatedly going above 40°C, it is becoming difficult for people to stay fresh and safe because of these old houses. According to the European Climate Risk Assessment, heatwaves are already a major threat to human health across southern Europe, and the risk of heat-related illness and death is expected to become even greater in the southern and west-central regions of the continent over the next few years.

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