Staff Reporter
SPANISH meteorologist Mario Picazo is warning that Barcelona could reach 50 degrees Celsius in the coming days.
On his El Tiempo media channel, Picazo said that summers are getting ‘hotter and hotter, with temperatures that could reach 50 degrees in the shade.’
“This is the scenario for which the city of Barcelona is preparing, seeking to anticipate situations of extreme heat that could cause power outages, disruptions to urban mobility, or limited access to medicines, among other consequences,” he added.
“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.”
Picazo attributes the ‘increasingly hot and muggy’ summers experienced in Barcelona and other Mediterranean cities, to rising sea temperatures.
Humidity is turning temperatures of 32 degrees into 40 degrees he said.
With a budget of 11.6 million euros, the Barcelona City Council is developing a ‘Heat Plan’ on a 2035 timeline to expand the number of ‘climate shelters,’ in response to its heating seaside city.
“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.
READ MORE: Keeping cool during hot weather in Spain with tips from health experts
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