In the first half of this year, two-thirds of children in Western Europe were exposed to extreme temperatures, three times more compared to 2025.

In the first six months of 2026, two-thirds of children in Western Europe were exposed to extreme temperatures, a record number since 2003, according to the organization Save the Children. Compared to the entire year of 2025, exposure increased threefold. Matilde Angeltveit, responsible for global climate advocacy at Save the Children, emphasized that climate change, including heatwaves and wildfires, affects children to a greater extent than adults, having a negative impact on their health. In Germany, the number of children exposed to extreme heat was higher than in the last five years, and in the United Kingdom, 10 million children were affected, a record in the last three decades. Children, being in development, are vulnerable to heat, which can cause health problems and affect education, with schools being closed in France and the UK to protect them. The organization warns that the data for the entire year could be even more alarming.