Facing the Heat: Climate Scientists Explain the Summer of 2026
Between June and August 2026, temperatures in Western Europe reached highs never before recorded. Along with heatwaves, residents across Europe endured wildfires, heat stroke and other risks associated with climate change. Amidst these emergencies, local representatives need to adapt quickly and effectively.
A scientific explanation is needed to understand what happened this summer and what will likely continue to occur in the future.
Join us at 11:30 CEST on 21 September for an online press conference featuring two EU-funded climate projects, EXPECT and Impetus4Change (I4C).
What’s in it for you?
Hear directly from leading climate scientists as they unpack what happened this summer, why it happened, and what the latest evidence tells us about what comes next. Researchers from both projects will take stock of summer 2026 by presenting their latest insights on the current state of climate change.
You’ll also have a chance to ask your questions to EXPECT and I4C scientists about a host of topics, including:
- Why Europe is the fastest-warming continent and what is driving the acceleration, from atmospheric circulation to land–atmosphere feedbacks and human activity.
- What climate models can (and cannot) tell us about the future, including common misconceptions, advances in high-resolution modelling and the use of machine learning to improve local projections of heatwaves.
- What extreme heat could look like in European cities in the years and decades ahead, with insights from climate assessments and sub-seasonal heat outlooks in cities such as Barcelona.
Preliminary Agenda
| Time | Agenda |
| 11:30-11:35 | Welcome & Introduction Arctik – Communication for Sustainability, WP leader for Communication & Dissemination for Expect and Impetus4Change |
| 11:35-11:40 | Meet the projects Markus Donat, Project Coordinator, EXPECT, and Stefan Sobolowski, Project Coordinator, Impetus4Change |
| 11:40-11:50 | Making sense of summer 2026 – setting the scene Markus Donat, ICREA Research Professor, Lead Researcher at Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) |
| 11:50-12:00 | What does this mean for future climate adaptation: lessons from Barcelona Paloma Trascasa Castro, Postdoctoral Researcher, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) |
| 12:00-12:30 | Q&A with press Questions and discussions with researchers and scientists |
Interested in participating?
Register now by filling in this form and submitting your questions in advance.