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Euskirchen is burning: heat emergency with 30 degrees and critical HBI value!
Mayor criticizes heat stress in Euskirchen. New measures to cool and green the city center presented.
Euskirchen is burning: heat emergency with 30 degrees and critical HBI value!
The temperatures are rising and with them the heat stress - a phenomenon that is also severely affecting the city of Euskirchen. On Friday afternoon the thermometer climbed to 28 degrees and temperatures over 30 degrees are forecast for the coming weekend. This shows once again how much climate change is also shaping local conditions. According to a report by ksta.de Euskirchen has an average surface temperature of 34.99 degrees Celsius in the months of June and August between 2019 and 2024.
The German Environmental Aid (DUH) is particularly critical of the situation, assessing Euskirchen negatively in terms of heat stress. In a comprehensive analysis, the Heat Impact Index (HBI) for the city was found to be 16.06, just below the critical mark of 16.16. The study behind it, which examined 190 German cities, shows that more than 12 million people in urban areas are exposed to extreme heat stress. 31 cities receive a red card, 131 a yellow card and 28 a green card duh.de reported.
Measures in Euskirchen
In the face of these challenges, the city of Euskirchen has taken some measures to reduce heat stress. However, Mayor Sacha Reichelt criticizes the timing of the calculations because the measures taken after the 2021 flood disaster have not yet been taken into account. Before the flood there were six trees in the pedestrian zone - today there are already 16.
The new installation of light-colored paving stones on Neustrasse and Berliner Strasse is intended to reduce heat absorption, while drinking water dispensers in the pedestrian zone have been providing refreshment since the beginning of June.
Importance of green spaces
The DUH is calling for mandatory minimum green areas in cities in order to better address the heat problem. Because it is clear that green areas not only contribute to the beautification of cities, but also play an essential role in climate protection. Katja Ziemann from the district health department also emphasizes how important cooling options are for homeless people, who often suffer particularly from extreme heat.
Based on this, the question is becoming increasingly pressing: How can we make our cities more heat-resilient? Investigations and discussions, which are taking place in the “Heat in the Condensed City” project, among others, aim to find out what measures are necessary to protect the quality of life of citizens, even on hot days. national-urban-development-policy.de shows how urgent this need is.
Overall, it should be noted that the heat is not just a weather phenomenon, but also has a significant impact on the health and well-being of the people in our region. It is time to take action to counteract climatic changes and make Euskirchen a place worth living in, even on hot summer days.