Puglia Faces the Summer Climate Change Hit Europe

For generations, summer in Europe has been languid and dreamy, bringing fine weather and lengthy days on sunny beaches and terraces. But in 2026, the brutal reality of climate change forced its way into daily life, according to The Local Italy's end-of-season assessment. The report warns that the continent is 'heading for catastrophe' as extreme heat becomes the defining feature of the Mediterranean summer.

In Puglia, the region that produces a large share of Italy's olive oil and draws millions of tourists to its Adriatic and Ionian shores, the summer just ending has tested both the land and the people who work it. The same heat that pushed Europeans to favour air conditioning over emissions cuts, as a Guardian survey found, has made the region's traditional summer rhythms harder to sustain.