Municipal authorities and the private sector in the Netherlands took emergency action as temperatures soared to almost 40 degrees.
Authorities used snowplows to sprinkle salt on some roads to lower surface temperatures.
This is explained by the fact that salt draws moisture from the air, causing the asphalt to cool. In such conditions, asphalt can heat up to 50 degrees.
The largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands has said it will not deliver groceries to customers’ homes to prevent drivers from delivering groceries under the scorching sun. Customers expressed their dissatisfaction on social media.
Many drawbridges in Amsterdam were water-cooled to reduce the expansion of steel at elevated temperatures and prevent blockage. Bridges often have to be raised or turned to allow ships to pass through the canals.
Temperatures will reach 39 degrees in the Limburg province in the southeast of the country, while the southwestern coastal province of Zeeland will hit 38 degrees, which is generally cooler, the local meteorological service said.