From cool-down spots to chalk on windows - how Europeans are coping with the heat

Europe is in the throes of a scorching heatwave, with temperature records expected to tumble in the coming days.

We asked our reporters across the continent how people are dealing with the searing temperatures where they are.

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.

By Hugh Schofield, in Paris

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 Lyons, 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.

By Guy Hedgecoe, in Madrid

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.

By Sarah Rainsford, in Rome

Even for sun-loving Italy, current temperatures are extreme for June.

The list of cities issued with a red alert warning is long and set to grow on Wednesday, with the most sweltering spots in the centre and north of the country.

As the temperature climbed this week, the government reintroduced measures to help workers most exposed to the heat: either those baking outside, like farmers and construction workers, or those indoors with poor ventilation.

It means certain businesses can suspend or reduce their activity when the temperature is exceptionally high, then access state funds for furlough payments to workers.

For the rest, it's air con time. Anyone who has it installed at home or work now has it on full blast and the shutters closed.

Those without, especially the elderly and most vulnerable, have been advised to head for air-conditioned public spaces instead.

In Palermo, tourists who still insist on a horse-drawn-carriage ride will now have to wait until evening, or a cooler day.

In Turin, some restaurants have closed their terraces - elsewhere, including in Rome, giant outdoor fans and sprinklers are working overtime.

For those who do head out to eat, the health ministry has issued some advice: to choose pasta over meat, and switch dehydrating coffee or cold beer for a glass of water.

By Jessica Parker and Pol Reygaerts, in Brussels

Belgium's hottest days this week are yet to arrive, with an orange alert soon due to come into force for the whole country.

That's as temperatures in some areas start climbing towards the high 30s, with an expectation that the daytime record for June could be broken.

It was back in 1947 that the country's official weather service measured a local temperature of 36.8 degrees but that could be topped this week.

The federal government had an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the situation.

It is already affecting travel, with some older commuter trains not yet equipped with air conditioning being pulled from service for now.

However, there will also reportedly be some extra services to cope with the crowds, who are likely to head for the country's northern coast.

Meanwhile, Flemish news site HLN, external reports that teenage students in the Brussels suburb of Tervuren took their exams inside the cooler confines of a church.

"Kids are doing their best and the Holy Spirit is doing the rest," the local pastor posted on Facebook.

By Bethany Bell, in Leipzig

In Germany, people are bracing for record-breaking June temperatures on Friday, when it could get as hot as 40C in the west and south-west of the country.

Postal workers from Deutsche Post have been advised to wear long-sleeved shirts and caps - while the DHL Group said that they could also order Bermuda shorts from their corporate clothing catalogue.

After several people drowned in Germany over the weekend, the German Life Saving Association (DLRG) has urging people not to underestimate the dangers of swimming.

The Conservation Association for German Forests has warned that with the heatwave continuing across the country, the risk of forest fires is rising dramatically. It said "lighting any kind of fire in the forest or at the edge of the forest is only permitted at designated fire pits".

The DAK health insurance company has set up a hotline on how to deal with the heat.