In Almaty, 16 special vehicles are watering the roads during the intense heatwave. Residents are divided: some enjoy the water spraying, while others consider it useless or even harmful, according to infohub.kz.
Users on the social network Threads have split into two camps. Some recall carefree childhoods and relish the water streams on the road, while others argue the measures are futile and detrimental. "You can't water in this scorching heat. Everything will burn. The droplets act like lenses," "It feels like a sauna within a minute," "It actually makes it more stuffy!" write Almaty residents.
Commentators also believe that trees near the roads may suffer because evaporating water only raises the air temperature. The editorial team consulted experts at the Almaty Main Botanical Garden, who explained that heavy watering in hot weather does not harm trees. "On the contrary, evaporation temporarily cools the surface and the ground-level air, rather than raising the temperature. But this measure is not very effective for plants. The main problem in hot weather is overheating and drying out of the soil in the root zone," commented Ainur Yeszhanova, head of the dendrology laboratory at the Institute of Botany and Phytointroduction.
Meanwhile, the city administration's press service stated that the watering is not for residents but to prevent the road surface from melting. This is supported by Techinsider, which notes that bitumen in asphalt can melt in extreme heat. In Shymkent, firefighters are not watering the roads but spraying children—who are delighted—and adults enjoy seeing their joy.