Heat forces changes to school schedules

The increasing heat is prompting a number of schools to adopt a tropical schedule for Thursday and Friday, in which lessons start earlier and end around noon. Schools are allowed to adjust their schedules in extreme heat. They must inform the parents on time and are obliged to offer an additional program to the official end of the day to kids who can not go home earlier. "Not all of our schools have air conditioning", Niek Barendregt of OPOD, the dome of 16 primary schools in Dordrecht, told newspaper AD. "As a result, the temperatures in the classroom can get very high. That's not good for concentration. We are going to give lessons early in the morning, when it's still cool." The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute has issued a code yellow warning for extreme heat starting today. The warning affects the entire country and will remain in force for 48 hours. Maximum temperatures are expected to rise to 35 degrees on Wednesday. On Thursday, maximum temperatures will be between 30 and 37 degrees, and between 28 and 30 degrees on Friday. The National Heat Plan is currently in effect. The Red Cross believes that the tropical school schedule is a useful tool for schools. Children are a vulnerable group at high temperatures. "They do not themselves think to drink enough, even though this is very important. Just as staying cool enough." a spokesperson said to AD.