Rijkswaterstaat has introduced the so-called heat protocol because of the heat. The protocol came into effect at 10 a.m., a spokesperson said.
Temperatures may rise to tropical heights today. It can also reach 30 to 31 degrees in Drenthe.
Extra measures are being taken to quickly transport motorists who break down on the highway to a safe location with facilities. The heat protocol applies throughout the Netherlands, except in the province of Friesland.
Motorists who break down on the roadside are immediately helped by Rijkswaterstaat. If a report is received, a recovery company is immediately called in to take the broken down motorist to a location such as a gas station or parking lot.
On the days when the protocol applies, this happens between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Rijkswaterstaat wants to prevent motorists with a breakdown from having to spend longer than necessary on the hot asphalt in the heat. The temperature of the road surface can rise above 50 degrees.
The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) states that it always pays “extra attention” to the situation of animals when the temperature is higher than 27 degrees.
A spokesperson said that the NVWA often receives more reports, for example from people who see animals in the meadow that cannot seek shade. “Animals should always have the choice to stand in the sun or in the shade,” the spokesperson said.
