A Poland-born content creator living in India has sparked a debate online after questioning what she described as a double standard in the way global audiences respond to heatwaves in India and Europe. Agnieszka Hadała, who shared her views in a viral Instagram video while visiting Poland, argued that similar climate crises receive very different reactions depending on where they occur.
Referring to the ongoing European heatwave, Hadała noted that temperatures in Poland had reached around 35 degrees Celsius, leading to school closures, restrictions on outdoor activities and pressure on public infrastructure. She also pointed out that many European homes lack air conditioning or ceiling fans, making the conditions more difficult to endure.
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She contrasted this with India, where temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius are common during summer and can even approach 50 degrees in several regions. According to her, international media often portrays India negatively during such events instead of acknowledging the country’s resilience in coping with extreme weather.
The creator also recalled viral images from Mumbai’s Versova beach, where residents slept outdoors during power outages to escape the heat. She said those scenes were mocked online, whereas Europeans sleeping on beaches and in parks during the current heatwave have largely received sympathy and understanding.
Hadała clarified that she was not ignoring India’s challenges, including poverty and infrastructure gaps. Instead, she urged people to consider the scale of governing a nation of more than 1.4 billion people and recognise the country’s progress in expanding highways, metro networks, airports, digital payments and affordable cooling solutions.
Her remarks resonated with many social media users who agreed that South Asian countries often receive less empathy despite experiencing severe heatwaves every year. Others argued that climate disasters deserve compassion everywhere and should not become a comparison between regions. Europe continues to battle soaring temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, with authorities issuing health warnings as scientists link increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves to climate change.
