Climate Change: A Burning Issue for Luxembourg & Beyond

Luxembourg, like much of Europe, has recently faced severe heatwaves, triggering orange and red weather warnings across the country. After a brief respite from the heat, marked by rain and thunderstorms, soaring temperatures are set to return. This is not just a passing weather event; rather it is part of a broader, alarming trend directly linked to climate change.

As someone who moved from a grey, wet country (Ireland) to another often damp place (Luxembourg), I am not usually one to complain about warm weather - but this heat hits differently. It is a tangible reminder that climate change is no longer a distant warning; our planet is quite literally burning.

Terminology

It is worth noting that while "global warming" was once the dominant term, scientists and policymakers now increasingly use "climate change" to describe not only rising temperatures but also the broader, destabilising shifts in weather patterns - from prolonged droughts to intense storms, flooding and shifting seasons. This shift in terminology reflects an evolving scientific understanding and deeper awareness that the climate crisis goes beyond heat; it encompasses the destabilisation of long-standing climate systems and the rising frequency, intensity and unpredictability of extreme weather events.

Heatwaves: Record Temperatures & Trends

Recent heatwaves have contributed to record-breaking temperatures, making June 2025 the hottest on record in Western Europe. Temperatures exceeded 46°C in Spain and Portugal, with the town of Mora hitting 46.6°C on 29 June - the highest June temperature ever recorded in Portugal.

Samantha Burgess, Strategic Lead for Climate at the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), recently warned: "In a warming world, heatwaves are likely to become more frequent, more intense and impact more people across Europe."

A recent analysis by the Imperial Grantham Institute (UK) found that extreme heat caused 2,300 deaths across twelve major European cities as temperatures soared between 23 June and 2 July 2025. Of those, 1,500 deaths were attributed to "climate breakdown". Milan was hardest hit, followed by Barcelona, Paris, London and Rome. The report found that the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events is increasing across Western Europe - which has become the fastest-warming region in summer over the past two decades. By 2050, much of Europe's population is expected to be exposed to extreme summer heat. In a 2°C global warming scenario, an estimated 163 million Europeans could face unprecedented summer temperatures - nearly double the current figure.

Globally, 2024 was officially the hottest year on record - and the eighth warmest year recorded in Luxembourg. The global mean temperature was 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900), surpassing 2023's previous record of 1.48°C and exceeding the critical 1.5°C warming threshold for the first time. While the World Meteorological Organization clarified that a single-year breach does not mean the Paris Agreement's long-term targets have failed, it serves as a stark warning. Will 2025 continue this dangerous trajectory?

Meanwhile, global weather patterns have also been impacted by the interplay of natural phenomena such as El Niño and La Niña, which are intensifying due to human-induced warming, compounding extreme weather events far beyond Europe.

Luxembourg Heat Warnings

The effects are already being felt in the Grand Duchy. On Wednesday 2 July 2025, when a red weather warning was in place for southern Luxembourg and urban areas, several municipalities cancelled primary school classes due to extreme heat. Temperatures exceeded 35°C - even where I am based in the north, the heat was almost unbearable, and I watched the temperature displayed on my car dashboard climb steadily as I drove south for work.

Around the same time, the Inspectorate of Labour and Mines (ITM) issued work safety guidelines, while the Luxembourg Veterinary and Food Administration (ALVA) urged increased vigilance for animal welfare amid the extreme heat.

Warmer Winters & Increased Flood Risk

The effects are not limited to summer. Winters are warming too, disrupting traditional seasonal patterns. In 2023/2024, Luxembourg recorded its third warmest winter since records began at the Findel meteorological station in 1947, with an average temperature of 4.1°C (2.2°C above the 1991-2020 reference period). February 2024 was especially mild, with a monthly mean temperature of 6.5°C, making it the warmest February on record.

Although winter 2024/2025 was cooler (2.1°C on average), it still exceeded long-term norms by 0.2°C. These conditions are another sign that our seasons are shifting - and not for the better.

Luxembourg's changing climate (traditionally temperate continental with cold winters and mild summers) also brings an increased risk of flooding. The most severe example in recent memory was the devastating flooding of July 2021, which caused extensive damage to property and infrastructure - though thankfully no lives were lost.

Last year also brought widespread flooding, notably in January and May. Total precipitation recorded at Findel in winter 2024/2025 amounted to 252.7 l/m2 - approximately 15% above the long-term average. Spring 2024 brought 306.3 l/m2 of precipitation (about 71% higher than the long-term average), making it the second wettest May on record. After a humid and warm summer, autumn 2024 followed with above-average rainfall - including 131.4 l/m2 in September (97% higher than the long-term average).

Shortly after the May 2024 floods, as it marked its 20th anniversary, the Water Management Administration (AGE) warned that climate-related challenges "remain significant" and noted that the Grand Duchy "will be increasingly exposed to torrential rains that can lead to flooding".

A Global Crisis

Luxembourg is not alone in facing these intensifying challenges. Across Europe, climate-related disasters are becoming more frequent and deadly. In late October 2024, Valencia in Spain was hit by catastrophic flash floods which claimed more than 200 lives and caused widespread destruction. I remember watching the news from a hotel in Madrid the night before I was due to travel there - transport chaos ensued, but it paled in comparison to the human tragedy unfolding just a few hundred kilometres away.

Similarly, in early July 2025, flash floods in central Texas in the United States killed at least 120 people, with more than 170 still missing. The disaster - confirmed as the country's deadliest inland flooding event since the 1976 Big Thompson River flood - has reignited criticism over budget and staffing cuts at the National Weather Service.

Andy Hazelton, a former climate scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA - which oversees the National Weather Service), warned in a recent interview that "this is the kind of event we can see more of if the cuts to NOAA continue, if you make the models worse or have the staffing levels lower". Yet, in a separate interview, President Trump said: "Nobody ever saw a thing like this coming. [...] This is a once-in-every-200-year deal".

Earlier this year, shortly after returning to office, Trump announced that the US would again withdraw from the Paris Agreement, effective January 2026. In that context, such comments are perhaps unsurprising - but can the world afford for one of its most influential nations to continue denying the realities of climate change?

Impact on Agriculture, Viticulture & Nature

The consequences of climate change extend to our fields and forests as well. Luxembourg's farmers and winegrowers face an increasing number of challenges, from persistent drought to excessive rainfall and unseasonal frost.

According to Luxembourg's AgriMeteo meteorological service, 2024 was a record year in terms of rainfall measured since 1854, with 42.6% more rainfall than average. This excess rain hindered and delayed work in the fields and the sowing of crops. Viticulture has also been affected, with early harvests, fungal disease and water stress (among other factors) threatening grape quality.

Meanwhile, forests, often viewed as natural buffers against climate change, are under increasing stress. Warmer, drier summers heighten the risk of forest fires. While Luxembourg has not yet experienced catastrophic wildfires, the risk appears to be rising and the authorities have been taking preventative steps.

According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), as of 1 July 2025, Europe has seen 196,407 hectares burnt since the start of the year - more than double the 77,900 hectares burnt during the same period in 2024. A total of 1,040 fires have been recorded since the beginning of the year (compared to 688 last year), releasing 5.65 Mt of CO2 emissions (up from 4.52 Mt last year). These figures highlight the need for vigilance and preparedness across the continent.

This increasing threat has prompted some innovative responses: last year, Luxembourg-based cargo airline Cargolux launched Aquarius Aerial Firefighting (Aquarius AFF), a new business unit to support international efforts. Announcing the news in January 2024, the airline said: "Extreme weather patterns, global warming and their consequences, such as wildfires, are an increasing issue for global communities." Aquarius AFF thus "aims to provide assistance in the fight against devastating wildfires that threaten human lives, natural resources and significantly contribute to global CO2 emissions."

Beyond firefighting, Luxembourg has taken steps to improve national resilience and crisis preparedness, from launching RESC-LU, a new civil protection reserve, to expanding public early warning systems such as LU-Alert.

Wake-Up Call

Climate change is neither a distant nor deniable threat - it is reshaping daily life in Luxembourg and beyond and it demands our immediate, sustained attention.

While the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises have shifted global focus in recent years, the urgent realities of climate change have grown even more pressing.

Global efforts to tackle the climate crisis have centred around frameworks such as the Paris Agreement. Yet, despite progress in renewable energy and pledges to cut emissions, the world is still not on track to meet the agreed targets. The World Meteorological Organization has warned that global temperatures could continue to rise between 1.2°C and 1.9°C above pre-industrial levels over the next five years.

In Luxembourg, efforts include strengthening resilience and promoting renewable energy, as well as measures such as a CO2 tax on fossil fuels (introduced in 2021 and currently set at €40 per tonne, rising to €45 in 2026). However, national efforts risk being undermined by backtracking from major players such as the US.

The question thus remains whether we still have time to meaningfully change course. Can bold collective and individual actions put us on the path to a safer, more sustainable future (for the next generations) - or have we already passed the point of no return?

Despite a resurgence in climate denial and political backsliding in certain parts of the world, the scientific evidence and moral imperative are clear. Every fraction of a degree matters; every delay costs lives. We must act to cut emissions, protect ecosystems, support vulnerable communities and demand accountability - from world leaders and from ourselves.

This summer is not an anomaly. It is a glimpse of what lies ahead. Whether we treat it as a warning or a turning point is up to us.