Europe is in the throes of a scorching heatwave, with temperature records expected to tumble in the coming days. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.
Amsterdam is rolling out a network of "cool-down" spots across the city, offering residents a place to escape the worst of the heat. These spaces – in libraries, city farms, theatres, churches, community centres and even supermarkets – provide seating, drinking water and toilets, and many are open to pets as well. In the pilot phase, most of the 12 cool-down spots will be concentrated in Nieuw-West, the district that city modelling identified as facing the greatest heat risk. Officials weighed up how much shade is available, how many vulnerable residents such as young children and older people live there, and how quickly homes heat up.
Schools are also adapting. Many are moving to "tropical" timetables in the coming days, with shorter school days or fewer lessons, more breaks, extra drinks and increased ventilation. Each school decides its own measures as there is no legal maximum classroom temperature. The guiding principle is that pupils and teachers must be able to work in conditions that are safe and healthy.
The town hall of the 10th arrondissement of Paris is offering free cinema tickets to help people get out of the heat. The plan is organised with three independent – and air-conditioned – cinemas. To qualify you have to be under 25 or over 65, and the offer is for afternoon sessions only. Cinemas, libraries and museums have been identified as places where people should be encouraged to go to escape the punishing temperatures. Some towns, such as Lyon, have temporarily suspended charging in municipal museums.
According to French newspapers, there has been a run on a chalky product called Blanc de Meudon, or Meudon Whiting, in DIY shops. The powder is mixed with water and then painted on windows, thus diminishing the power of the sun's rays and in theory bringing down the inside temperature. It does actually seem to work.
The north-eastern Spanish region of Aragón is seeing some of the highest temperatures of the heatwave, and in the cities of Zaragoza and Huesca local authorities have responded by reducing the price of entry for public swimming pools. The northern city of Logroño, which is expecting temperatures of up to 40C on Tuesday, has made entrance to swimming pools free for the duration of the heatwave and authorities there have announced that ornamental water fountains will be turned on until 23:00 at night. People can also cool off under water sprinklers which have been switched on in several areas of the city.
Some places have suspended the traditional burning of a bonfire to celebrate the festival of San Juan (John the Baptist) because of the fire risk posed by the extreme conditions. The northern city of León has cancelled a fireworks display which had been scheduled for tonight to mark the festivities. Meanwhile, many cities have established "heat refuges", which are air-conditioned public buildings where anyone can go in and escape the worst of the weather.
A 2024 law seeks to protect Spanish workers during heatwaves, ensuring employers take safety measures, including making sure outdoor manual work is not done during the hottest time of the day.
Even for sun-loving Italy, current temperatures are extreme for June.