Ruth, 11, from Burke, Va., gets cold water poured on her head to cool off at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Thursday, July 2, 2026, in Washington. Alex Brandon, Associated Press
Mallory Mailloux
By Mallory Mailloux
Mallory is a special projects intern at Deseret News and will soon have a degree in journalism from Brigham Young University.
KEY POINTS
  • U.S. Department of Energy issued emergency orders to prevent blackouts ahead of the heat wave.
  • The heat waves in Europe and the U.S. are causing record-breaking temperatures.
  • Social media users across the world shared thoughts on the heat.
A vendor pulls out a bottle of water from a tank using dry ice to keep it cold, during a heat wave at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Thursday, July 2, 2026, in Washington. | Alex Brandon, Associated Press

The world is heating up this week.

In eastern parts of the U.S., record-breaking temperatures are expected this weekend. Ahead of them, the U.S. Department of Energy issued two emergency orders on Tuesday. The orders will “mitigate blackout risks in the Mid-Atlantic,” according to the announcement.

And, as Deseret News reported on Monday, Europe is experiencing record-breaking heat as well.

The human experience

A man takes advantage of a sprinkler during hot weather in New York's Central Park, Thursday, July 2, 2026. | Richard Drew, Associated Press

Here’s how people across the world are reacting on social media to the sweltering temperatures:

A woman in New York posted a video showing how empty the streets of the city are, saying in her caption, “Unfortunately I love the heat and will still tan like a lizard on a rock.”

Another video posted to Instagram shows what one woman expected her summer trip to Europe to be like, versus the reality with the heat wave.

This video shows a fire truck in Europe spraying water on people in the streets to help them cool off.

A woman in Europe attempted to fry an egg in a pan heated by the pavement, rather than a stove.

Another video compared the weather this week in states east of the Mississippi to a desert land from a Super Mario game.

Tips and tricks

Meghana Jalagam uses a fan to keep cool from the hot weather during a World Cup soccer match between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina at a watch party Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Detroit. | Paul Sancya, Associated Press

Some people posted videos with suggestions on how to stay cool, like one user who said to put aluminum foil on windows to reflect the heat. People in the comments said it’s better to put the foil on the outside of the window rather than the inside.

This video has advice on how to help your garden flourish during a heat wave.

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Another post jokingly suggested driving with oven mitts.

The consequences

Some posts captured the danger and downfalls of the heat wave, like this one that shows tram tracks in Germany melted by the extreme heat.

Positive takeaways

Others online tried to look on the bright side of the heat wave. This video showed the cold winter weather in New Jersey, and people in the comments wrote that they prefer the heat wave over the snow.

“I will take a heat wave over this any day!“ one person commented on the video. Another said, ”At least we don’t have to shovel the heat."

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