Heat Wave Warning System Implemented

The Ministry of Health has launched a meteorological monitoring system for the summer to help prevent and treat health problems as a result of extreme temperatures.

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The campaign, named “Ola de Calor 2015”, will operate throughout the country with every health department following the same protocols that have been in place since 2004, in order to “prevent, minimize and assess the impacts on the health of the population arising from high temperatures in the community, with particular attention to the possible occurrence of heat waves. “

Across Valencia, there are now 30 identifiable zones where temperature thresholds have been defined, with daily maps indicating the risk factor through the usual series of warning colours, green, yellow, orange and red.

Each temperature level is accompanied by a series of protocols and a series of actions required in order to maintain safety in the sun.

The heat map, along with other health related information, will be available on the health department´s website, http://cuidatecv.es/en in the Valencia community, as well as on http://www.ceam.es/ceamet/, where the UV index is also available.

Meanwhile, the spring season, which is from March to May, has been “very warm” and “very wet” across the Valencia region, with an average temperature of 14.9 degrees and an average of 178.7 litres per square metre of rainfall.

The data was presented this week in the climatology press conference held seasonally by the Spanish meteorological office, who also state that in view of the recent data, the summer season, June to August, is 40% likely to be “above normal” temperatures, and in any case will be “hot”. The good news for many is that there is likely to be a continuation of the rainfall throughout the summer, which will hopefully ease the current threat of drought.

Currently, as of the daily data from the 18^th of June, most local reservoirs are currently just over half full. In the Segura basin, they are currently at 59.6% of their capacity, with the Pedrera at Torremendo only holding 157 cubic hectometres of its 246 cubic hectometre capacity and Crevillente only holding 5 cubic hectometres of its 13 cubic hectometre capacity.