Coping with blazing heat in Europe

Forest fires are raging on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria. According to authorities, about 300 emergency personnel with a total of 11 firefighting aircraft and helicopters are trying to combat the flames. At least 11 houses have burned down so far. Summer heat has hit parts of Europe with a vengeance, and as temperatures rise, so does the risk of wildfires.

In Greece, several large forest fires and wildfires have broken out in the greater area of the Greek capital, Athens. The flames quickly ate through the dry undergrowth and spread to Anavyssos in the densely populated region of Attica, as well as towards the seaside resorts of Lagonisi and Saronida, where many vacation homes are located.

In Italy's capital, Rome, a passerby tries to protect his head from the scorching heat with his T-shirt. Metropolitan areas, with their many concrete surfaces and frequent lack of greenery, can be particularly warm. But there are already some solutions to help cool cities down that do not require any adjustments to clothing.

In Düsseldorf, Germany, this building with a green facade helps improve climate conditions in the city. In the future, all cities, states and municipalities in Germany will have to introduce measures to cope with the consequences of climate change. The Federal Cabinet recently approved a draft for a nationwide climate adaptation law. In general, most cities lack sufficient trees and shrubs.

A little girl in the Polish city of Krakow is enjoying a cooling shower beneath a water sprinkler. Some cities already provide cool oases in the form of such sprinklers or with fountains. But in some countries, such as Italy, there is a water shortage that makes such facilities difficult to maintain.

The Greeks are using one good urban cooling trick: White houses like these in Astypalea not only fit nicely into the landscape but also offer heat protection, as their white color reflects the sunlight better. But such design measures can't be employed everywhere in Europe. In Germany, for instance, even an incorrectly installed balcony privacy screen can lead to trouble with property management.

In Switzerland, they are using some innovative methods for improving city climates with greenery. Here, a mobile element for shading and greening stands in the city of Basel. It fits in well with the city's climate concept, for which 9.4 million Swiss francs (€9.7 million, $10.1 million) have been earmarked.

Readily available drinking water is an important component of urban heat action plans. Free drinking fountains, like the one here in Germany's Frankfurt am Main, are provided in many European cities. Dogs also enjoy such refreshment. In August 2022, the German government decided that high-quality drinking water must be freely available to the population in public places.

There are interesting approaches and experiments from the field of geotechnics. One of them is to create artificial clouds. Often there is a lack of condensation nuclei or air humidity for natural cloud formation. But special ships that spray huge quantities of seawater droplets into the air could create the right conditions. A dream for the future?