European cities deploy cooling sites and adapt festivals amid record heat wave

Across Europe, municipalities are scrambling to protect residents from an unprecedented heat wave. In the Netherlands, Amsterdam has opened a dozen "cool‑down spots" in libraries, urban farms, theatres and supermarkets, while schools shift to shortened, ventilated schedules. French cities such as Paris and Lyon offer free cinema tickets and waive museum entry, and some schools in Nantes coat windows with chalk‑based paint to lower indoor temperatures. Italy has reactivated heat‑related ERTE provisions, allowing companies to suspend work and receive public funds to pay staff, while the government advises citizens to favor pasta over meat. Belgium has withdrawn non‑air‑conditioned commuter trains and held exams in a cooled church, and German postal workers brace for temperatures near 40 °C.

In Spain’s small town of Uharte Arakil, the traditional summer festival was forced to move activities under large canopies and into cooled indoor spaces. Organisers replaced inflatable castles with water‑filled pools and swapped a fire‑torre with a water‑based version to keep participants safe. The adaptations highlight how local celebrations are being reshaped by extreme temperatures throughout the continent.