From June 18 to 23, in just 6 days, France has already seen 40 people drown while swimming.

Because of the recent extreme heat, but many homes and public spaces don’t have air conditioning, many people can only jump into the river to cool down, leading to tragedies.
The low penetration rate of air conditioning in Europe mainly comes down to 4 reasons.
First, electricity bills and energy risks.
Electricity prices for European households are very high—almost twice those in the United States—and in recent years they have also faced an energy crisis. Many people worry that using air conditioning will cause their bills to rise noticeably, so they are more cautious about using it.
Second, environmental concerns play a big role.
Many Europeans believe that air conditioning consumes electricity and increases carbon emissions, so even when it gets hot in summer, they feel psychological pressure about installing and using air conditioning.
Third, many parts of Europe were not that hot in the past.
Especially in Northern Europe, summers have long been relatively cool, so air conditioning is not a necessity of life, and many households naturally don’t install it.
Fourth, traditional architecture and local living habits are different.
In Southern Europe, many houses rely on whitewashed walls, thick walls, courtyards, and shutters to block the sun and cool the house. People are also accustomed to ventilating in the morning and closing their windows at midday to escape the heat, rather than turning on the air conditioner right away.