Heatwave disrupts European transport systems: UN warns

Extreme heat can impact infrastructure sectors such as transportation when roadways, runways and railways begin to buckle.

A severe heatwave sweeping across Europe is disrupting transport systems, with officials struggling to manage melting train tracks, buckling roads and widespread delays, while a new United Nations report warns that such extreme weather will intensify in the coming decades.

The report, released on Tuesday by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), warns that rising temperatures and extreme weather will increasingly affect transport networks across Europe, Central Asia and North America.

It projects that roads, railways, waterways, ports and airports will face significant disruptions between 2051 and 2080 as climate conditions worsen.

“The current extreme heat episode in Western Europe has highlighted climate risks and the consequences for transport,” a UNECE spokesperson told UN News.

Already, countries including Belgium, Denmark, France and the United Kingdom are experiencing heat-related train delays and cancellations due to rail deformation, buckling asphalt, air-conditioning failures, malfunctioning signals and overheating infrastructure.

Key findings

The report’s key findings include:

Transport systems face risks from flooding, extreme heat, reduced snow and ice, permafrost loss and sea-level rise
Infrastructure may face 10 to 50 additional days per year above 25°C, with some regions experiencing up to 200 such days
Around 71 to 89 per cent of global ports could be at risk from extreme marine storms by 2100
About five million Europeans may face near-annual coastal flooding by the end of the century
Economic consequences

The report warns that economic losses from extreme weather could rise sharply without urgent action.

“Transport systems are vital for the smooth functioning of our societies and economies,” UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean said, adding that disruptions can have “dramatic consequences on communities and come at huge financial cost.”

It cited the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which caused an estimated $232 billion in damages, including significant losses linked to ports, trade and supply chains.

Growing climate risks

The report also highlights increasing risks from intense rainfall in regions such as Norway’s western coast, the Alps, the Balkans, northern Türkiye, parts of Central Asia, coastal British Columbia and the eastern United States.

Such conditions are expected to increase landslides, drainage failures and infrastructure damage across road, rail and inland waterways.

Rail systems are particularly vulnerable, with projections showing that 90 per cent of Europe’s rail network will face significantly more days of extreme heat between 2050 and 2080.

Adaptation is essential

The UNECE stressed that climate adaptation is no longer optional but urgent.

“Because extreme weather events are no longer a future risk but a reality today, adaptation of transport infrastructure is an imperative,” Molcean said.

The report adds that every dollar invested in climate adaptation can generate more than $10 in long-term benefits, according to the World Resources Institute.

It calls for stronger adaptation policies, improved infrastructure resilience and increased investment in climate-resilient transport systems worldwide.