300,000 Clicks for a Heatwave Article: Here's What's Behind It

It's the height of summer in Europe: temperatures above 35 degrees, packed outdoor swimming pools, empty offices. And our data is clear:
People don't necessarily read less during a heatwave – but they do read differently.

The top content lists from the hot weekend at the end of June show: demand for useful, local and actionable content is rising significantly – but in a more nuanced way than expected. Those who understand the needs of their audience can make the most of the heatwave.

What the data shows
On technology-focused media sites, product comparisons and buying guides for cooling solutions dominate the top spots. Anyone looking to buy a fan or find the best air conditioner ends up here – and reads the content carefully. The consistently high time spent on these very articles confirms this: even in hot weather, complex content is consumed if it strikes the right chord.

According to our data, regional publishers can benefit particularly from this shift in reading behaviour: by specifically addressing what their audience truly needs at that moment. Cancelled events, closed outdoor pools, local weather warnings – it is precisely this kind of content that ranks highest for regional publishers. One city portal achieved over 300,000 views with a single heatwave article in just one weekend – well ahead of everything else.

The pattern isn’t the same everywhere. Among high-reach general interest publishers, lighter summer topics – royalty, sport, celebrity stories – take precedence over service-oriented content. The extent to which hot weather changes reading habits therefore depends on the type of media and the audience.

What this means for you
The key step is to understand your own pattern. Which types of content resonate with your audience during hot weather and which ones drop off? If you can answer this question using your own data, you no longer need to react – you can plan ahead: prepare formats, anticipate topics, and allocate resources strategically.

The heatwave is no longer a one-off event. It is a recurring usage pattern. Those analysing their data can respond accordingly. Those who don’t leave the 300,000 page views to others.

Noemi Serrano Smethurst is Editorial Success Manager at Upscore.