The city of Barcelona has activated the High Heat Alert Phase, due to warnings from the Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya (Meteorological Service of Catalonia). This measure corresponds to a risk level of 4 on a scale of 0 to 6, and is based on the new municipal protocol adapted from the Plan for Preventing the Effects of Heat (POCS) by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Government of Catalonia). The alert phase will be maintained for today and tomorrow, July 8 and 9.
The primary objective of this operation is to reduce the negative impact of high temperatures on the health of citizens, with special attention to vulnerable groups. These include the elderly living alone, people with disabilities, infants and babies, individuals with chronic illnesses or mental health problems, and homeless people.
Since mid-June, the city has been in a preventive phase, with awareness and information campaigns about the risks of heat and recommendations for coping. This phase includes distributing informational leaflets, publicizing designated spaces as climate shelters, and preparing social care teams.
The Centre d’Urgències i Emergències Socials de Barcelona (CUESB) plays a key role as the reference service for social care. During the alert phase, the CUESB sends SMS alerts to over 11,800 identified vulnerable individuals, offers permanent telephone support at 900 70 30 30, and can conduct home visits to assess risks. Public space information is also reinforced, especially for homeless individuals, informing them about the network of climate shelters and distributing water and protective materials.
Should the warnings from the Meteorological Service of Catalonia elevate the risk to level 6, the Emergency Phase would be activated. This phase would intensify all actions, potentially including the transfer of vulnerable individuals to facilities designated as climate shelters or even the use of the CUESB as an overnight space for those in extreme fragility.
The preventive phase calendar has been extended and, starting next summer, will begin on June 1 and run until September 30, reflecting the growing importance of managing heatwaves in the context of climate change.
