From cool-down spots to chalk on windows - how Europeans are coping with the heat
By Anna Holligan, in Amsterdam Amsterdam is rolling out a network of "cool‑down" spots across the city, offering residents a place to escape the worst
By Anna Holligan, in Amsterdam 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 BriefWire