The heat episode will commence on Sunday and is expected to last at least until Tuesday. Maximum temperatures will be highest on Monday, and nights will also be warm, with minimums potentially exceeding 20 degrees Celsius in many areas and even 25 degrees in parts of the coast and pre-coast.
According to Santi Segalà, head of Meteocat's Prediction area, "we are facing the first heatwave of the summer," with forecasts predicting the surpassing of established thresholds between Sunday and Tuesday. The presence of suspended dust could worsen the situation, leading to tropical and torrid nights across the territory.
This episode coincides with the implementation of new criteria for heat warnings, calculated based on the last 15 years of meteorological data, instead of the previous 10. This measure, agreed upon with the departments of Health, Labor, and Interior, aims to better adapt to climate change.
The new criteria include a maximum threshold of 40 degrees Celsius for locations such as Vinebre or Ascó, where very high temperatures have historically been recorded. The objective is to ensure that warnings are more precise and protect public health in the face of climate evolution.
Concurrently, a working group has been established to analyze a more in-depth revision of the system, including the relationship between health, mortality, and temperature, and the potential inclusion of May and September in the usual summer period. This group includes members from the operational plan to prevent the effects of heat on health from the Generalitat.
Intense heat warnings are calculated with specific thresholds for each locality, based on maximum temperatures over the last 15 years. "Each value indicates to what extent that temperature is unusual in each place, which is why the population living there needs to be warned," explained Segalà, ensuring that alerts are issued when conditions are truly unusual.
