As heatwaves strike, Europeans turn to prized Chinese air-conditioner

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Recent heatwaves have brought Europe to a turning point with air-conditioners By Koh Ewe Published 1 hour ago Steven Scholtysek, 36, is no stranger to Europe's heatwaves. The German engineer has lived through sweltering summers since his childhood. But this year the heat has been especially unbearable. Western Europe has experienced its hottest June on record, and cities across Germany saw temperatures rise above 40C (104F). The region is bracing for more heatwaves before the summer ends. To make things worse, a few months ago Scholtysek moved into an attic apartment - the kind that's notorious for overheating. "It's not possible to live a normal life in those flats, below the roof, in summer heat," says Scholtysek, who lives in the town of Hamelin, north-central Germany. He soon stumbled upon the PortaSplit, a portable split air-conditioner made by Chinese home appliance giant Midea, designed to meet European regulations - an appliance that has become one of the most sought-after products in the region this summer. "It was a game changer," he says. His experience is one that is becoming increasingly common across Europe - a region with typically low air-conditioning ownership rates, as heatwaves grow more intense. Cooling measures A previously little-known brand in Europe, Midea has become a household name this summer because of the PortaSplit. Units have sold out in stores over the past few weeks, and models have even popped up on resale sites, where they are marked up to double or even triple its original retail price of around €750 (£639; $856). There's even a site dedicated to tracking the availability of these units, called MideaFinder. Much of the craze has centered around the models' ability to sidestep structural constraints, including strict historic-preservation rules in many European cities that restrict exterior-wall modifications such as drilling for external AC units. Image source, Midea Image caption, The Midea PortaSplit is touted as installation-free and compatible with European windows The PortaSplit, which comes with a lightweight outdoor unit that users can perch outside their windows themselves, advertises itself as "perfectly compatible with most European window types". "Midea solved this problem in quite an interesting way," Denis Yurchak, a Vienna resident, tells the BBC. Yurchak first came across the PortaSplit a few weeks ago, while researching air-conditioners to tide him through the heatwave. From glowing online reviews to forums dedicated to exchanging tips about air-conditioners, the 27-year-old quickly realised there was "a kind of cult about Midea". And since raving about his PortaSplit on X, he has also been co-opted into the community - he says he has been receiving curious messages about the air-conditioner every day. During the worst of the heatwave, Yurchak said he "basically had it on 24/7". Image source, Denis Yurchak Image caption, Vienna resident Denis Yurchak