As Europe experiences an intense heatwave, a social media post comparing temperatures in Europe and India has sparked widespread debate. X user Umed Pratap Singh wrote, “Is 43°C in Europe different than 43°C in India? What’s so rona dhona about? Here, the temperature even touches 48°C.” The post quickly went viral, prompting many users to explain why the same temperature can feel very different depending on where you are.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.
One user pointed to differences in housing and cooling systems, writing, “They don’t have ACs. Very few have fans. Many apartments have restrictions on how much a window can open, many of them open upto 10 degrees angle only.” Another highlighted how cities are built for different climates, saying, “Infrastructure is built for the cold. 43 in Europe will feel like 55 in India. Many houses don’t even have fans; they’re waking up to portable units now out of necessity (sic).” A third user suggested weather conditions also play a role, commenting, “I think may be due to high humidity, like in our coastal area, 35 is unbearable.”
Many people on social media have remarked that Indian summers feel very different from European summers, especially as news reports and viral clips of the ongoing heatwave across Europe have sparked widespread discussion.
The discussion raises a question: if the thermometer shows the same number, why can the experience be so different? Temperature alone does not determine how hot we feel. Factors such as humidity, wind, direct sunlight, urban design, building materials, air conditioning, and even people’s acclimation to a particular climate can influence how the body responds to heat. Understanding these differences is becoming increasingly important as heatwaves become more frequent across many parts of the world.
Why the same temperature can feel different
Dr Palleti Siva Karthik Reddy, MBBS, MD General Medicine, FAIG, Consultant Physician at Elite Care Clinic, tells indianexpress.com, “A temperature of 43°C affects the human body similarly, irrespective of geography, but the surrounding environment determines how dangerous that temperature becomes. Factors such as humidity, direct solar exposure, wind patterns, nighttime cooling and urban heat retention significantly influence heat stress.
Dr Manjusha Agarwal, Consultant- Internal Medicine, Gleneagles Hospital, Mumbai, adds, “A temperature of 43°C is physiologically stressful regardless of the location, but how the body experiences it depends on environmental factors such as humidity, wind, direct sunlight, and the urban heat island effect. High humidity reduces sweat evaporation, while poor ventilation and heat-retaining concrete surfaces make it harder for the body to cool itself, increasing the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.”
Many parts of India experience high temperatures regularly, Dr Reddy explains, and populations have developed certain levels of behavioural and physiological adaptation. “In contrast, several European regions historically experience milder summers, making sudden heat waves more difficult for the body and society to handle.”
Urban infrastructure also plays a major role. Dr Reddy states that dense cities with limited shade, heat-retaining buildings and poor ventilation can intensify heat exposure, making the same temperature feel substantially more severe.
Why buildings and cooling matter
According to Dr Agarwal, homes without air conditioning, buildings designed to retain heat, and poor natural ventilation can trap indoor heat, preventing the body from cooling effectively, especially during prolonged heatwaves. This increases the risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and worsening of underlying heart, lung, and kidney conditions, particularly in older adults and those with chronic illnesses.
“Many European homes are designed to retain heat during long winters rather than dissipate it during summer,” notes Dr Reddy, adding that thick insulation, smaller windows and limited cross ventilation can trap heat indoors, causing indoor temperatures to remain dangerously high even after sunset.
He shares that when the body is exposed to prolonged heat without adequate cooling, its ability to regulate temperature becomes impaired. This increases the risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, particularly among older adults, children and individuals with chronic illnesses. “Access to cooling is a major determinant of health outcomes during heat waves. In places where air conditioning is uncommon, people may experience continuous heat exposure for several days, preventing the body from recovering adequately.”
How humidity changes the ‘feels like’ temperature
The human body primarily cools itself through sweating. Dr Reddy says, “When sweat evaporates from the skin, it removes heat from the body. In humid conditions, the air already contains significant moisture, making sweat evaporate less efficiently.”
As a result, he reveals that the body retains more heat, causing greater physiological stress even at lower temperatures. “This is why 35°C with high humidity can sometimes feel more uncomfortable and dangerous than 43°C in a dry climate.”
“Humidity reduces the evaporation of sweat, which is the body’s main cooling mechanism, making it harder to release excess heat even if the air temperature is lower. As a result, the ‘feels like’ temperature better reflects the actual heat stress on the body and is often a more accurate indicator of the risk of heat-related illnesses than the air temperature alone,” concludes Dr Agarwal.
Europe faces intense summer heat | Source: AI Generated 
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