Vienna and Graz launch heat protection measures for vulnerable residents

In Vienna, Freedom Party lawmaker Paul Stadler criticised the city council for failing to provide adequate cooling in senior and care homes as temperatures rise above 40 °C. He called for the rapid deployment of remote cooling systems and the installation of sufficient air‑conditioning units, accusing officials of neglecting vulnerable groups while spending on other projects.

The city of Graz introduced a comprehensive Heat Action Plan that activates when the state issues a heat warning. The plan outlines three alert stages, public awareness campaigns, and the opening of “cool rooms” such as libraries, museums and churches. It also provides free water fountains, expands urban greenery with thousands of new trees, and encourages neighborly assistance for the elderly, chronically ill, children and homeless during extreme heat events.