Europe must prepare urgently for a world 3C hotter than before industrial times, warns the EU's climate advisory board. Maarten van Aalst, top researcher and director at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, said, "It is a daunting task, but at the same time quite a doable task. It’s not rocket science." The European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change (ESABCC) said current efforts are "insufficient, largely incremental [and] often coming too late." Extreme weather events have already hit hard. Heavy rains caused deadly floods in Germany in 2021 and Spain in 2024, killing over 360 people combined. Summer heatwaves claim tens of thousands of lives every year. Last year's wildfires burned more land than ever recorded in Europe. Portugal recently suffered deadly storms killing 16 people and causing huge damage. Van Aalst noted, "Europe itself is vulnerable, especially for conditions it has not faced in the past." He stressed the need to improve early warning systems and upgrade preparedness. The ESABCC recommends mandatory climate risk assessments, embedding resilience into all policies, and increasing funding—including private money—for protection measures. Van Aalst, who contributed to the latest IPCC report, said, "The IPCC is clear this is a very problematic future with rapidly rising risks," and warned that some risks will exceed our ability to adapt. The strong message: Europe must act now to avoid a dangerous climate future.