The heat wave reaches its eighth day with maximums above 40º

The heat wave that almost the entire country suffers after the entry of a mass of warm air from the Sahara, leaves on its eighth day maximums above 40 degrees in various parts of Spain, with restrictions due to the high risk of fires and impacts on health. The phenomenon, caused by an isolated depression at high levels (DANA) west of the Iberian Peninsula and an anticyclone located near Ireland, has put three autonomous communities on red alert this Sunday for “extreme risk” of heat and another ten in orange warning for “significant risk”. This weekend the temperatures in almost the entire country have been around 40ºC and for this Sunday the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) forecasts that it will reach 43ºC in various points of Cáceres and Badajoz. Some areas classified as “extreme risk” will predictably reach 42ºC, according to the Aemet, which has sounded the alarm especially about the regions that the Ebro riverbank crosses in La Rioj a, Navarra and the province of Zaragoza. According to what this entity has advanced to EFE, the specialists foresee that the heat wave will have a brief relief during Tuesday, although it is probable that a new rise in temperatures will start on Wednesday, with the potential continuation of this episode, which is already considered “long”. Consequences of extreme heat Given the danger of suffering heat stroke, Civil Protection advises to hydrate frequently, wear light-colored clothing that covers the body and head as much as possible, minimize exposure to sun, inhabit well-ventilated spaces, eat lightly and eat foods rich in water and mineral salts (such as fruit and vegetables, for example), and avoid drinking alcohol. In the Valencian Community, where the maximum has been around 40 degrees Celsius, the Generalitat has declared this Sunday the level of health alert due to high and extreme heat in municipalities of twenty-eight counties of the three Valencian provinces. In Catalonia, where it has reached 41.4 gra two, the Department of Climate Action of the Generalitat has warned of the risk of high levels of tropospheric ozone – triggered by high solar radiation – in areas of Central Catalonia, Vic, Maresme, Vallès, Baix Llobregat and Barcelona, ​​and has asked caution to the most vulnerable people to this atmospheric pollutant. In addition, on Friday, accesses to the Montgrí, Albera, Montsec d’Ares, Montsec de Rubies, Gabarres, Montserrat, Baronía de Rialp, Cap de Creus and Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac, in the face of the threat of forest fires. For the same reason, the Barcelona Provincial Council has also restricted access to the Sant Llorenç del Munt i L’Obac natural park, to the Serra de Collserola, Cordillera Coast, Cordillera de Marina, the Garraf park, the Olèrdola park, the Foix park and part of the Montseny natural park. Impacts on biodiversity Extreme heat not only increases concern about the spread of fires but also because of the lower water availability -with the reservoirs this week at 44.4% of their total capacity- and because of the species of fauna and flora that are affected by unusually high temperatures. For example, In Castilla-La Mancha, the Toledo Swift Network has warned of the danger posed by the heat wave for the chicks of this bird that carries out its entire life cycle -except for breeding- in the air. According to this platform -created jointly by the Recovery Center of the Province of Toledo (CERI), the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) and the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha- heat waves cause chicks to fall from the nests, and these, not being rescued by their parents, they can die.