Hello and welcome to this live blog. Here we keep you informed of the tropical temperatures in the Netherlands and the rest of Europe.
How are you keeping yourself and others cool today? Send your photos to the editors via [email protected]. Who knows, you might see your photo in this blog.
Power outages in Italian cities Power outages have occurred in several Italian cities, including Florence, Milan, and Bergamo, due to the heat. In the center of Florence, stores were temporarily without power. ATMs and escalators also stopped working.
The power grid was also overloaded near Milan. And in various districts of Bergamo, in the north of the country, people were stuck in elevators. Homes, stores, businesses, and traffic lights were also without power.
The electricity grid is under extra strain due to the air conditioning running overtime in many places. Additionally, electrical cables expand due to the heat. Energy supplier Enel says it is working on restoring power.
This cat seeks shade by lying under a car.
Train stalls for an hour without air conditioning Near Amsterdam Muiderpoort station, a train stalled in the late afternoon because ProRail had shut off the electricity to the overhead lines due to a brush fire. When it was turned back on, one train could not start on its own. As a result, the air conditioning also stopped working. Passengers were stuck in a hot train for over an hour before being evacuated with another train, an NS spokesperson told NU.nl.
The spokesperson adds that air conditioners are struggling everywhere in this hot weather, including on trains. If a broken air conditioner cannot be repaired quickly, the train is taken out of service. According to NS, this has only happened sporadically.
Tomorrow, temperatures in the Netherlands will vary significantly. Inland, it will be almost twice as hot in the afternoon as on the coast. Meteorologist Johnny Willemsen explains how this is possible in this article.
People experiencing homelessness are at extra risk due to the heat. For example, they are less likely to have water and sunscreen readily available. Aid organizations are increasingly responding to the warm weather, according to a survey by NU.nl. You can read how they do that in this article.
Forgotten toddler dies in hot car in Spain A toddler has died after being forgotten in a car in Spain by his father. The temperature in the car presumably rose above 50 degrees Celsius. The father brought the boy to a room with air conditioning, but resuscitation failed. It is not clear how the father could have forgotten him. The police are investigating the case.
Last week, a two-year-old boy died after his father forgot him in a car in southern France.
Two bodies found in the water Bodies have been found in the Waal River near Zaltbommel and in a recreational lake in Vianen. According to bystanders, the man in the Waal disappeared underwater around 3:15 PM, after which they did not see him again. Fire department divers found his body in the water around 4:00 PM.
The other victim was found around 5:00 PM in the recreational lake de Put in Vianen. The police are still investigating who the man is and what happened to him.
Dog left in car while owner goes to casino A dog was left in a hot car on Coninkstraat in Amersfoort by its owner. The car was parked in full sun. The owner of the dog had gone to the casino.
The police received a report about the dog and arrived at the scene. According to the police, the man did not cooperate and was verbally aggressive. He also refused to show identification. The dog was eventually taken out of the car by its owner.
Municipality urges people not to come to Hoek van Holland anymore The municipality of Rotterdam is urging people not to come to the beach of Hoek van Holland anymore. It is too crowded. Images show many people lying on the beach and swimming in the sea. It is also busy at the beach bars.
Multiple wildfires break out Among other places, a wildfire broke out today in Oss, Brabant. The fire has multiple hotspots and originated in a meadow on Suggelaarsestraat. Due to the drought, there is a risk of expansion. Therefore, multiple units are on site, the fire department tells ANP.
In Heerde, on the Veluwe in the north of Gelderland, a fire is raging on Heideweg. The location is difficult to reach. It is therefore still unclear how large the fire actually is.
Wildfires are currently raging in Cadiz, Spain. Several houses in the region must be evacuated preventively.
An owl has landed in the garden of a NU.nl reader and is lying in the sun with spread wings. Owls do this, for example, when they want to dry their feathers or regulate their body temperature. They do the latter especially in warm weather, so that moisture evaporates faster and heat can be dissipated better.
Almost 1,900 schools closed in France Throughout France, 1,896 schools were closed after lunchtime today due to the heat. In Paris, Tours, and Bourges, among other places, it was 38 degrees Celsius. In Durban-Corbières, the temperature rose to 41 degrees Celsius.
NU.nl reader Petra has made her own outdoor shower with a garden hose and a sprinkler head. “This way we stay cool,” she says.
Mediterranean Sea reaches record temperature The Mediterranean Sea has reached a record temperature of 30 degrees Celsius off the coast of Spain. That is six degrees warmer than the average temperature during this period. According to the Spanish weather institute AEMET, this is due to a high-pressure area that retains heat over Europe.
On Edisonstraat in The Hague, a tram track has come up due to the heat.
All weather stations have broken record for July 1st All 35 official weather stations in the Netherlands have broken their record for July 1st today, reports Weerplaza.
Belgian festival Rock Werchter takes measures against heat The Belgian festival Rock Werchter is taking measures for the expected heat tomorrow. The festival does not start until Thursday, but the campsite already opens tomorrow.
Visitors are led along a shadow zone and ventilated tent for checking luggage. Also, water will be distributed in the waiting zones if necessary. Furthermore, there are water misters and free water is available.
Rock Werchter is a pop and rock festival that lasts until Sunday this year. Temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius are also expected in Belgium tomorrow. It is expected to be a bit cooler over the weekend with a maximum of 27 degrees.
Also in Belgium warmest July 1st to date Also in Belgium, it is the warmest July 1st since the start of measurements. In Ukkel, a temperature of 34.7 degrees Celsius was measured. The old record comes from 2015, when it was 34.5 degrees in the same place.
Near the Rottepolderplein and Spaarndam interchange, the roadside was on fire.
Dog Boomer cools off on a special cooling mat.
New national heat record for July 1st: 35.7 degrees The new national heat record for July 1st was set in Gilze-Rijen. A temperature of 35.7 degrees Celsius was measured there. The previous record of 35.6 degrees was measured on July 1, 2015 in Westdorpe in Zeelandic Flanders.
It is possible that this record will be broken again today. In the southeast of the country, the temperature can rise to 38 degrees Celsius.
A cow sought cooling in the ditch on Leidseweg in Leiderdorp, but could not get out on its own. The fire department came to help, but the cow did not let itself be caught. A little later, the owner of the animal arrived with a tractor. After a while, they managed to catch the cow and the farmer and firefighters pulled her out onto dry land together.
Also busy day for Roadside Assistance on Tuesday Also on Tuesday, there are more breakdowns on the road due to the heat. As a result, the Roadside Assistance is busier than normal. People mainly suffer from starting or battery problems.
At the end of the day, the breakdown service expects to have received approximately 4,000 reports. Yesterday there were 4,400. On an average day, approximately 3,800 motorists need help.
Because the heat plan is in effect, motorists are immediately taken to a location with facilities, such as a gas station. There they can safely wait for roadside assistance.
Hottest June since start of measurements in Spain It was the hottest month of June in Spain since the start of measurements. The average temperature was 23.6 degrees Celsius. That is 0.8 degrees warmer than the record from 2017.
Last month was 3.5 degrees warmer than the average in June between 1991 and 2020. That is also a record. This June was even warmer than a normal July or August.
It is also very warm in Spain today. In several places, the temperature rises above 40 degrees Celsius.
Possible heat wave depends on temperature tomorrow According to the KNMI, we can expect to speak of a national heat wave tomorrow. For that, the temperature in De Bilt must exceed 30 degrees Celsius. We speak of a heat wave if the temperature is above 25 degrees Celsius for five days in a row, of which three are above 30 degrees Celsius.
NU.nl reader Maaike takes good care of the mail carriers in her neighborhood. They can ring her doorbell for an ice cream and a cold bottle of water. She herself works at home in front of the fan.
Rare hot day measured in De Bilt Today is officially a very hot day. A temperature of 35.3 degrees Celsius has been measured in De Bilt. We speak of a very hot day when the temperature exceeds 35 degrees Celsius.
The last very hot day was on July 19, 2022. It is not often that the 35-degree mark is exceeded. It is only the eleventh time since 1901 that a temperature of 35 degrees or higher has been measured in De Bilt.
Ziggo Dome warns people not to come too early The Ziggo Dome warns people who are going to the Green Day concert tonight not to come too early because of the heat. If they do, it is recommended to apply sunscreen well, stay out of the sun and wear a hat.
On the water of the Biesbosch, many people are looking for cooling today. With a speedboat, that went wrong: a fire broke out on the boat. A large black cloud of smoke was released. The occupants have been checked by ambulance personnel, writes Omroep Brabant. Nothing is yet known about their possible injuries.
It is also unclear how the fire started. The boat has been towed away.
Dog Rose from Leeuwarden dries in the sun after a dip in the canal. At least she doesn’t suffer from the sun shining in her eyes.
50,000 people evacuated for wildfires in Turkey In Izmir, a province in western Turkey, wildfires have been raging for the past few days. Rescuers have already evacuated more than 50,000 people.
Also in parts of the provinces Bilecik, Hatay, Sakarya and Manisa, aid workers are busy extinguishing wildfires. In total, there are 263 fires throughout the country. 46 people were injured. They are being treated in the hospital. As far as is known, there have been no deaths.
Among others, outgoing Prime Minister Dick Schoof and Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema were under umbrellas to protect themselves from the heat. They were present at the National Commemoration Slavery Past in Amsterdam’s Oosterpark. Due to the heat, the ceremony started at 12:15 PM, two hours earlier than planned.
In addition to the umbrellas, water was also distributed and ice creams were for sale in many places. Two people became unwell due to the heat. The ceremony has already ended.
Two people became unwell during Amsterdam commemoration slavery past During the National Commemoration Slavery Past in Amsterdam, two people became unwell due to the heat, reports Het Parool. The medical service took both to the medical aid post. The commemoration in the Oosterpark is now over. Due to the extreme heat, water was distributed and there were umbrellas for extra shade. Ice creams were also for sale in many places. Some of the visitors left before the end of the ceremony due to the heat.
Police rescue baby from closed car in Amersfoort In Amersfoort, police officers rescued a baby from a closed car this morning, reports RTV Utrecht. The police received a report from the owner of the car that the door had locked, with the key still in the ignition. The officers then smashed the window and rescued the child. The baby is doing well.
Because it was not a conscious action of the owner, no one has been arrested. Officers warn again that it is life-threatening to leave a child or animal in a car. If it is 30 degrees outside, it can already be 40 degrees in the car within ten minutes. Within half an hour, the temperature can even rise to 50 degrees.
In Flevoland, salt is spread on asphalt against heat In Flevoland, salt is spread on all roundabouts on provincial roads. This is done to prevent deformation of the asphalt, says a spokesman for the province. The salt attracts moisture from the air, which cools the asphalt. This should counteract rutting and congestion of the road surface.
Rijkswaterstaat does not spread salt on the highways, says a spokesman. “That is not necessary with the type of asphalt that is there.” Also in North Brabant and Limburg is not spread for the time being. “It is a whole operation and you also bring a lot of stuff into nature that does not belong there,” says a spokesman for the province of North Brabant. “Under the current circumstances, we wonder if we would not do more harm than good with it.”
Today officially warmest July 1st ever measured Today is officially the warmest July 1st ever measured. At 1:10 PM, 33.2 degrees was measured in De Bilt, since the start of the measurements in 1901 it was not so warm in De Bilt on July 1. The previous record was 33.1 degrees, and comes from 2015.
The record is no less than the seventh date heat record of the year. On average, these records occur about nine times a year. Possibly a record will also be broken tomorrow, then it will be well over 35 degrees in many places in the country.
Tonight the second highest electricity price of the year Tonight between 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM we note the second highest electricity price of the year. Due to the heat, we consume more electricity today, especially for cooling. But in the evening, the generation of solar panels falls back and there is little wind today. As a result, the gas plants have to be started that were not needed the rest of the day, says climate reporter Jeroen Kraan.
With a fixed contract you do not notice this directly, although these kinds of situations are included in your rate. For people with a dynamic contract, it is important to pay attention.
Exam graduation of baseball stadium moved to school Normally, exam candidates of the Mendel college in Haarlem always have their diploma ceremony in the adjacent baseball stadium. But that cannot go ahead today because of the heat. “We have just made the decision,” says the rector of the Mendel college in conversation with NH News. “We have been in the stadium, it was 28 degrees there. The ceremony starts at 4:00 PM. Then it is well in the 30s. You are there full sun. That is not pleasant and we should just not do that.” The ceremony has been moved to the auditorium of the high school.
For the first time since 2022 more than 35 degrees in the Netherlands It is the first time in three years that it is 35 degrees again in the Netherlands. In Woensdrecht it just became 35.1 degrees and so we speak of the first regional very hot day since 2022, reports Weeronline. The last day that the mercury in the Netherlands rose above 35 degrees was July 19, 2022. In Maastricht it was even 39.5 degrees that day.
KNMI starts in 2026 with new index for heat The KNMI will come next year with a new index for heat. In this index, temperature, humidity, solar radiation and wind are combined. According to the KNMI, “one kind of heat is not the other”. This index shows how heavy the heat feels at that moment. “Very often we only look at temperature, but other factors are also crucial for the effect of heat on humans”, said thermophysiologist Boris Kingma of TNO about it in this article.
The heat force is expressed in a numbered scale starting from 1, just like wind force. The new index is developed by TNO, the KNMI, the RIVM and the Free University Amsterdam. They have developed the system, because Dutch people are increasingly dealing with heat due to climate change.
Many people choose to spend the warm day on the beach. In Wageningen, a few cows also take the opportunity to sunbathe.
NU.nl reader Derrik de Moei has found a clever way to find cooling while working. Do watch out for your equipment, Derrik!
Reporting point for animals in need gets more reports due to heat Due to the warm weather, more reports are coming in at the phone number 144, the reporting point for animal abuse and neglect. This includes reports of animals in hot cars or without shelter. Exact figures are not yet known.
A spokesperson lets know that people can also call 112 in case of emergency. If it is not an emergency, 144 asks to make a report via the website. The waiting time on the phone can be a lot longer than usual, writes the reporting point on X.
Man in Italy dies during work on construction site A 47-year-old man in Bologna has died from the heat, reports the Italian RaiNews. The man collapsed around noon while working on a construction site. Colleagues tried to resuscitate him in vain.
Today possibly 57th extremely hot day in the Netherlands We speak of an extremely warm day in the Netherlands if the temperature rises above 35 degrees. If that happens today, it is the 57th extremely warm day that the KNMI has measured. On July 23, 1911, the first was measured.
Striking: since 2011, almost as many extremely warm days have been measured (26) as in the hundred years before (30). That proves that our summers are much hotter nowadays than a hundred years ago, as climate reporter Jeroen Kraan said earlier in this blog.
In the heat, people also ‘just’ work. These men work all day on work on the A10 South in Amsterdam.
What can you do to cool down? The RIVM gives tips for what you can do to cool your body, also with temperatures above 35 degrees. From 36 degrees, it is more difficult for the body to lose heat. That is because the outside temperature is equal to or higher than the temperature of your skin. Sweating is then the only way your body cools.
The health institute advises the following:
Reader question: Was it as warm in the past as it is now? Several readers have the idea that heat like this week also regularly occurred in the past. Is that so? “Of course it was sometimes warm in the past, but all statistics show that our summers are really much hotter than a hundred years ago”, says climate reporter Jeroen Kraan. “The climate warming is also stronger in the Dutch summer than in other seasons. Moreover, the extremes are becoming more extreme: the warmest day is becoming warmer and the wettest day is becoming wetter.”
“At the beginning of the twentieth century, there was an average of one tropical day per year. Regularly, the mercury did not rise above 30 degrees for an entire year. Only people of 32 years and older have experienced that: a year without tropical days last occurred in 1993.”
In this article from a few years back, Jeroen shows how the summers have become warmer.
Due to the heat in Paris, the top of the Eiffel Tower is closed to visitors. In the French capital, code red applies, with possible temperatures up to 39 degrees. The first and second floors of the steel tower are still open.
Bridges throughout the country are kept wet, as here in Amsterdam. That cooling is necessary to ensure that the bridges can open and close without problems. The water prevents the steel from expanding due to the heat. If that would happen, that causes problems for opening and closing bridges again.
Previous regional heat wave was in September 2023 The regional heat wave is the first since 2023. Then there was a regional heat wave of nine days in a large part of the country. That summer there were a total of three regional heat waves.
That there was no heat wave in 2024 was an exception compared to earlier years. The last year before that without a heat wave was 2011.
First regional heat wave in Eindhoven The temperature in Eindhoven has risen above 30 degrees and therefore there is a heat wave in the Brabant city. At 10:20 AM the temperature there was 30.6 degrees. The heat wave in Eindhoven started on Friday with summer temperatures. On Sunday and Monday there were already tropical temperatures above 30 degrees. Today is therefore the third day, which meets the conditions for a heat wave. It is the first regional heat wave of 2025.
In the other regions there can only be a heat wave tomorrow. There was only a tropical day on Monday and today is therefore only the second tropical day in a row. Eindhoven was the only place in the Netherlands where it was warmer than 30 degrees on Sunday.
An official ‘extremely warm day’ possible There is a good chance that it will be warmer than 35 degrees in De Bilt today. With that, according to the definitions of the KNMI, an “extremely warm day” is possible. That is the category above the tropical day: that is the case with temperatures above 30 degrees.
Dogs are also looking for cooling in various ways today. Here Wiebe takes a refreshing dip in the ditch.
National heat wave still possible In De Bilt, the temperature yesterday came just above 30 degrees. That means that a national heat wave is still in it this week. For that, five consecutive days warmer than 25 degrees are needed in De Bilt, of which the temperature rises above 30 degrees three times.
“Today the 30 degrees is really a piece of cake”, says Johnny Willemsen of Weerplaza. “It will be about 34 to 35 degrees in the middle of the country.” The tension whether it really becomes a heat wave, is in the temperature of Wednesday. Whether it is also 30 degrees in De Bilt then depends on how late the wind turns to the north and when it becomes cloudy.
If it becomes a heat wave, it is a close one, says Willemsen. The minimum limit of a heat wave is met exactly in that case: five days warmer than 25 degrees and three warmer than 30 degrees. From Thursday the temperature drops again.
Not only in the Netherlands do people look for shade as much as possible: also in Paris, a shady bench is a pleasant place for some cooling. In the French capital, code red applies, the highest heat alarm, because it can become up to 39 degrees.
It is a statement that regularly passes by when Dutch people talk about the heat: warm days feel more oppressive in the Netherlands than in countries in Southern Europe. That is partly due to our climate, but it is also a bit between our ears. Our colleague Rianne Lachmeijer explains here how that works.
In the west and southeast it was a tropical night In several places it was a tropical night last night, but certainly not everywhere. “The temperature in many places has remained above 20 degrees for a very long time, but in the end it still fell below 20 degrees in many places”, says Matthijs van der Linden of Weeronline. That did not happen everywhere. At the measuring point of Vlissingen it remained 21.8 degrees, and at Hoek van Holland it remained 20.8 degrees. In Schiphol the temperature dropped very briefly to 19.9 degrees, before it rose again.
The meteorologist does make a caveat. “Those measuring points are always in open landscape, so near grass fields.” In the cities in the west, but also in the southeast of the country, it may therefore ultimately also have remained above 20 degrees. If the temperature does not drop below 20 degrees at night, there is a tropical night.
In the east and northeast of the country it was the “least warm”, says Van der Linden. In Nieuw-Beerta, in the far east of Groningen, the lowest value measured was 11.4 degrees.
Not only in the Netherlands is it warm these days. In many other countries in Europe, temperatures even rise above 40 degrees. What that means for consequences, you can read in this article.
Tips to get through the heat The Red Cross warns that the consequences of heat can be greater than you might think and gives a number of tips. The first seems self-evident, but is not for everyone: drink well, even if you are not thirsty. Especially for the elderly that is very important. Their organs work less well and their thirst and sweat production have decreased.
It is also good to check the package leaflet of your medicines. Some medicines affect how your body regulates your temperature. Then precautionary measures are needed. Furthermore, the aid organization emphasizes to apply sunscreen well, put on sunglasses or a hat when you go outside and wear airy clothing made of cotton or linen.
Finally, a tip to keep your house cool: put a frozen bottle of water in front of the fan.
Tuesday and Wednesday code orange for southeast Netherlands In the provinces North Brabant, Limburg and Gelderland applies today and tomorrow code orange because of extreme heat, was announced yesterday. It will be almost everywhere tropical warm today, with maximum temperatures of 38 degrees. On Wednesday it can be locally again 38 degrees. At night it cools down somewhat, to temperatures between 20 and 25 degrees.