While Europe has been battling with the extraordinary Cerberus heatwave, it’s time to think about the long-reaching impacts of such extreme weather conditions. We must acknowledge the fact that this heatwave is a clear sign of the growing global climate crisis that's staring us in the face, and is not just a one-off event.

The Cerberus heatwave, named after the three-headed dog guarding Hades' underworld in Greek mythology, stands as a symbol for the triple threat we're up against: rising temperatures, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and the domino effect this has on our environment, our societies and our health.

The heatwave cranking the heat up to levels never seen before poses a serious danger to all of our wellbeing, to our farms, and to our water supplies. This is a crisis that touches every corner of life, and it's crying out for a global response. According to IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report, the frequency and intensity of hot extremes, including heatwaves, have increased on a global scale since 1950, and this trend is virtually certain to continue. Heatwaves increase strongly as a function of global warming, with detectable changes even for changes “as small as” +0.5°C of additional global warming. This means that even slight increases in global temperatures can have significant impacts on the frequency and severity of heatwaves.

The Cerberus heatwave is like an alarm bell reminding us of the urgent need for a strong plan to adapt to and withstand climate events. It's the poster child for the kind of severe weather we expect to see more and more as global warming gets worse. Thus, it’s clear that we must revisit our strategies for leading sustainable lives. This goes beyond merely reducing emissions; it involves a fundamental transformation of our energy systems, a re-evaluation of our bond with nature by restoring damaged ecosystems and put an end to harming more, and a fortification of our societies for enhanced strength and resilience.