Why do people die so much from the heat during air conditioning?
Portugal has red alerts, but only 20% of houses have air conditioning. Poverty and culture fuel the crisis.
Portugal faces deadly heat waves with red alerts issued in July, but the housing reality is brutal: only 20% of homes have air conditioning. This contrast between climate severity and the lack of refrigeration infrastructure defines the current crisis in the country. Experts link excess heat deaths directly to pre-existing illnesses in the elderly and a lack of European preparedness for extreme temperatures, even in wealthy nations.
