The culture wars have come for air conditioning, at least in France. Amid the latest heat wave, feelings about air conditioning became a political litmus test.

Paris — A heat wave gripping parts of Europe sent temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius (109.4 Fahrenheit) in southern France and the Western Balkans on Monday, fueling wildfires, triggering top-level weather alerts and forcing evacuations in several countries across what scientists warn is the world’s fastest-warming continent.

Heat alerts were issued in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and the Balkans, with temperatures expected to soar above 40 deg C. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.