A summer of weather extremes and severe infrastructure stress has prompted companies and policymakers across Europe to respond.
For example, Eurostar has announced that it is preparing for unprecedented heat across Europe with a new fleet of trains designed to withstand temperatures of up to 55 degrees Celsius (131 degrees Fahrenheit).
Lena Fuldauer, head of resilience and business development at Allianz Risk Consulting, said that for businesses, the challenge of extreme heat is a "quiet catastrophe."
Countries across Europe are scrambling to address the widely underestimated climate challenge of extreme heat.
In Norway, extreme heat has pushed asphalt temperatures at Oslo Airport toward 52 degrees Celsius, prompting fire crews to douse the tarmac with thousands of liters of water to prevent damage to aircraft stands and taxiways.
In Sweden, Stockholm's public transport operator SL has painted railway tracks white to reduce the risk of heat-related disruptions.
'Adaption alone is not a viable strategy'
Wildfires in France and Spain forced the evacuation of more than 330,000 people.
A spokesperson for the European Commission stated that the Commission will soon present a new integrated framework for climate resilience and risk management.
Fuldauer noted that the insurance industry needs to become a resilience partner for society.
