As Europe braces itself to swelter under another brutal heatwave, locals and visitors in one popular Spanish city are being warned that the mercury could soar to a baking 50C. Spanish meteorologist Mario Picazo says temperatures in the shade could still reach the hazardous temperature of 50C.
Warning that summers are getting “hotter and hotter” the forecaster is alerting those in Barcelona to prepare for disruption over the next couple of days. The stifling heat could cause “power outages, disruptions to urban mobility, or limited access to medicines, among other consequences”, said Mr Picazo. Barcelona, which recorded its hottest June in over a century, has seen the mercury climb due to rising sea temperatures.
Mr Picazo says: “The heat is intensifying, but it does so even more so in urban environments. In cities, we must take into account the phenomenon known as urban heat islands.
“The asphalt on streets and roads, along with buildings, retains heat and adds several degrees to the already high temperatures due to the arrival of warm air masses, common during the summer.”
To tackle the sizzling weather Barcelona now has a heat plan to address the increasing risk of heat waves due to climate change.
With a budget of 11.6 million euros it is hoped that by 2035 the number of climate shelters will be expanded as well as improving temperatures in buildings, protecting the most vulnerable and improving emergency protocols.
“The intention is to progressively implement everything installed or learned from this experience. The city is increasingly facing extreme heat waves, which tend to last longer,” Picazo said.
Barcelona is currently under a severe heat alert, Spain appeared to hit a new high for June last Saturday when 46C was recorded in the southern province of Huelva.
Spanish police are investigating the death of a toddler earler this week who died after being “forgotten” inside a car on an industrial estate in the Costa Dorada town of Valls near the northeastern port city of Tarragona.
The dad reportedly left for work at around 10am on Monday morning and forgot his son was still in the car.
A passser by raised the alarm at around 3pm that a young child was unresponsive inside a car parked in an industrial area in the sweltering Catalonian heat prompting emergency services to rush to the scene.