Melissa Eddy covers the German economy and businesses and is based in Berlin.

Europe suffered intense weather this summer. Now, it's learning the economic cost.

The record-breaking temperatures, droughts and floods could cost the region's economy at least 43 billion euros, or $50 billion, a study shows.

The report, which was released Monday and presented to European Union lawmakers, focused on the extreme weather that took place from June to August, with the aim of helping the bloc adapt to what scientists say is one of the fastest-warming regions on the planet.

"The true costs of extreme weather surface slowly because these events affect lives and livelihoods through a wide range of channels that extend beyond the initial impact," said Sehrish Usman, an assistant professor at the University of Mannheim who led the study with two economists from the European Central Bank.

Using a model based on weather data and estimates of the historical impact of extreme weather on 1,160 different regions across the European Union, the economists said they were able to create a projection of what they described as "the potential impact of extreme weather events in quasi real time."

But they cautioned that "considerable uncertainty surrounds these estimates" because the data used to conduct the study was limited to the summer months and specific weather events. For example, the data did not include the impact of wildfires, or the combination of a simultaneous drought and heat wave.

Europe been plagued by a summer of severe heat waves. Climate change has begun to force people to face difficult questions about the economic and cultural costs of adapting to the increasing temperatures.

The study identified Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece and Southern France as among the regions that were hardest hit by the extreme heat this summer. Meteorologists have said they expect these regions will continue to face more extreme heat in the years ahead.

Spain's meteorological agency said on Tuesday that this past summer was the hottest since it began keeping records in 1961, with three heat waves recorded across the country. Temperatures rose 0.1 degrees Celsius above the previous record-setting June-to-August period, in 2022, the agency said.

The economists of the climate study said that heat, droughts and floods impede economic activity in different ways. Heat leads to productivity losses, for example, in the construction and hospitality industries, while droughts affect mainly agriculture. Floods damage infrastructure and buildings, as well as create indirect losses from disrupted supply chains.

Based on their model, the study said the losses to the economy were clearly measurable. In Italy, for example, the estimated losses were €11.9 billion for 2025 and will amount to €34.2 billion euros by 2029. That translates to 0.6 or 1.75 percent of Italy's economic output in 2024, the study said.

Already, the heat is having an impact on how governments are planning their futures. Spain is seeking to invest in temperature-prediction systems to anticipate heat waves and train health care workers who will be forced to treat more heat-related illnesses. It is also trying to increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In Paris, city planners say that temperatures as high as 122 degrees Fahrenheit, or 50 degrees Celsius, are not far off.

Europe's Extreme Summer Weather Could Cost It Billions