The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) delegation in the Balearic Islands predicts that the first heat wave of summer 2024 will occur between Thursday, July 18, and Saturday, July 20. Therefore, yellow alerts for high temperatures have been issued, which could be elevated to orange level by the end of the week, with maximum temperatures reaching up to 39 degrees in the interior of Mallorca on the upcoming Friday.
The Conselleria de Salut has launched the advertising campaign “Live the summer with COMMON SENSE. Protect yourself from the heat” to reinforce the prevention of heat strokes, with posters to be placed in public transportation. With this campaign, the Directorate General of Public Health aims to remind people of the tips to avoid these episodes caused by intense sun exposure, which can sometimes be fatal.
- Avoid drinks with caffeine and alcohol.
- Eat light meals.
- Reserve the early morning or late evening hours for physical activity.
- Drink water and wear light, fresh clothing made of natural fabrics.
- Never leave people or animals inside a parked and closed vehicle.
- Pay special attention to newborns, the elderly, and outdoor workers.
How to Recognize a Heat Stroke
The institutional campaign includes another message offering a series of guidelines on how to recognize that you are suffering from a heat stroke and the best way to act to minimize its effects. The most common symptoms of such an episode are:
- Fever over forty degrees
- Nausea or vomiting
- Severe headache
- Warm and reddened skin
- Increased pulse and breathing rate
The best way to act when these symptoms appear is to quickly call the emergency services at 112 and, regarding the person affected by heat stroke, place them in a cool and shaded area, remove their clothing, cool them with water and fan them until the emergency services arrive.
New Alert System
Since June 17, the Epidemiology Service of the Directorate General of Public Health has implemented a new high temperature warning system in Mallorca, dividing the region into six zones with specific thresholds, in addition to establishing thresholds for Ibiza, Formentera, and Menorca. Unlike the previous system, which only considered the temperature at Palma airport, this new approach allows alerts to be activated from lower temperatures depending on the zone, such as 33.3 degrees in Palma and up to 34.8 degrees in the north and northeast of Mallorca.
Since May 16, a nationally coordinated information system has been collecting temperature and mortality data to minimize health risks associated with extreme heat. The maximum thresholds established vary by region: 33.3 degrees for the Palma-Airport Observatory; 33.9 degrees for the Serra de Tramuntana; 34.8 degrees for the north and northeast of Mallorca; 35.9 degrees for the island’s interior; 34.4 degrees for the south; and 34.3 degrees for the east of Mallorca. In Ibiza and Formentera, the maximum threshold has been set at 33.1 degrees and in Menorca, at 32.2. This plan, in effect until September 30, is based on analyzing the association between mortality and temperature, allowing specific monitoring and prevention measures to be adopted according to each zone.
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