A succession of record-breaking heat waves is driving a rapid shift in European lifestyles, with air conditioning moving from rarity to routine across the continent. Temperatures topped 40 °C in several countries this summer and Spain set a national high on 28 June, while scientists estimate about 2,000 heat-related deaths during July’s hot spell. The extreme conditions have eroded long-held cultural resistance to mechanical cooling, once dismissed as an American excess outside the Mediterranean south. Demand for cooling equipment is surging. Chinese customs data show air-conditioner exports to Europe jumped 28.9 % in the first seven months of 2025 to 12.92 billion yuan, part of a 4.9 % rise in global shipments. Online retailer JD.com reports overall transactions for the units up more than 60 % year-on-year, with first-time buyers in China’s historically temperate northeast rising eight-fold. Manufacturers including Hisense and Midea have put factories on round-the-clock schedules and dispatched installation crews northward to keep pace. Europe’s newfound appetite for air conditioning underscores the economic ramifications of a warmer climate, from electricity demand and grid stress to shifting tourist patterns as travellers seek cooler destinations. While policymakers debate efficiency standards and emissions, retailers and appliance makers are preparing for a market that, amid escalating heat, increasingly views artificial cooling as essential rather than optional.