Schools cut hours as KNMI issues extreme heat warning

The KNMI weather service has issued a code orange warning for extreme heat from midday on Wednesday, with primary schools cutting their hours, Amsterdam opening its first official public cooling spots and road authorities enforcing safety measures across the south.

The warning covers most of the country, with only Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe on the lower code yellow and the Wadden Islands left out altogether.

Temperatures are forecast to reach at least 34° for three days running, climbing to around 37° in central and southern parts by Friday.

The KNMI issues code orange only when it expects three consecutive days of at least 34°, two days of 36°, or a single day reaching 38°. It’s the first time the service has issued such a warning so early in the year.

Shorter school days
Schools are responding by shortening their days. Around one in three primary schools is already running a so-called tropical timetable (tropenrooster) – starting earlier and finishing sooner – according to parents’ organisation Ouders & Onderwijs.

Classroom temperatures have reached 40° in some buildings, the AOb teaching union says, and secondary schools are taking similar measures, according to the VO-raad schools council.

The AOb says air quality in 80% of primary school buildings falls short of health standards, and that an estimated €1.3 billion a year is needed to bring them up to scratch.

Cooling spots and road protocols
Amsterdam has set up its first official cooling spots, around a dozen locations where residents can shelter from the heat for free. Most are in the Nieuw-West and Zuidoost districts, where housing tends to trap heat and the health risks are highest.

In Limburg and North Brabant, public works agency Rijkswaterstaat has triggered a heat protocol to move stranded motorists off the road quickly, after road surfaces passed 38° on Monday.

The KNMI is advising people to stay out of the sun, drink water regardless of whether they feel thirsty, and avoid heavy physical activity between midday and 6pm. It also urged people to check on elderly neighbours and pets, and not to leave children or animals in parked cars.