Europe relying on simple measures to keep infrastructure going amid record heatwaves

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleA man crosses a street with the sun reflecting on parked cars amid a heatwave in Saint-Mande, east of Paris (AFP/Getty)Europe's vital infrastructure, including roads, power grids, and railways, is struggling under record-breaking heat, leading to widespread disruption across the continent. Countries are implementing various measures, such as dousing airport tarmacs with thousands of litres of water in Norway and painting metro tracks white in Stockholm to prevent buckling. Much of Europe's infrastructure, particularly in northern countries like Britain, was designed for narrower temperature ranges and is ill-equipped for increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves. Rail networks are acutely affected, with over 70 per cent of managers reporting growing disruption from extreme weather, prompting significant investments like Network Rail's £2.6 billion for resilience. Engineers and authorities are fundamentally rethinking infrastructure design, exploring advanced technologies like AI and drones, and drawing lessons from regions accustomed to extreme heat to adapt to climate change. In fullEuropean countries turn to surprisingly simple solutions to deal with record heatMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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