Suche
Cool rooms in Tempelhof-Schöneberg: Protection from heat for everyone!
Tempelhof-Schöneberg now offers cool rooms for health care during heat periods, accessible to everyone without registration.
Cool rooms in Tempelhof-Schöneberg: Protection from heat for everyone!
Health risks from heat waves have become an increasingly important issue in recent years. This is also confirmed by a recent press release from the Tempelhof-Schöneberg district office. The notice points out that summer heat periods, defined as “hot days” when the temperature rises above 30°C, pose health risks. Older people and people with underlying health conditions are particularly at risk, as extreme temperatures can lead to serious health problems.
To counteract these risks, two publicly accessible “cool rooms” are now available in Tempelhof-Schöneberg. These rooms are barrier-free, offer seating and drinking water and can be visited without prior registration. Although no medical care is offered on site, they provide an important recovery area for people suffering from the high temperatures.
Need for cool rooms
As the Federal Environment Agency notes, the number of hot days and tropical nights in Germany is increasing due to climate change. Between 2000 and 2024, particularly high values were documented in the hot summers of 2003, 2015, 2018 and 2022. There are significant regional differences in Germany, with the highest values on hot days and tropical nights being recorded in southern Germany in 2015. The forecasts show that the maximum air temperature in Germany will tend towards extreme heat.
These developments highlight the need for heat protection measures at the municipal level. According to the Climate-People-Health website, cities and communities should develop appropriate strategies to reduce the impact of extreme heat waves on local populations. The creation of cool retreats plays a central role. Such measures are particularly important to prevent circulatory problems and heat strokes.
Future challenges
Future warming is also expected to increase health burdens through the co-occurrence of hot days and tropical nights. In Germany, around 15,600 people died due to the effects of heat in the hot summers of 2018 and 2019. The consequence of these extreme weather situations is increasing heat-related mortality, which, according to model calculations, could increase by 1 to 6% for every degree Celsius temperature increase.
In view of this problem, the provision of cool rooms in Tempelhof-Schöneberg is an important step in offering citizens an opportunity to cool down and relax and minimize health risks.