The General Directorate of Public Health of the Ministry of Health of Canary Islands GovernmentGiven the forecast of high temperatures, has updated and extended the health risk warnings in different municipalities of the islands of Gran Canaria, Tenerife Y Fuerteventura, which are added to the notices already in force and communicated earlier this week. On these dates there Forecast of simultaneous exceedance of threshold temperatures: 32 degrees maximum and 24 minimum, established in the Preventive Action Plan for the Effects of Excessive Temperatures on Health.
In this sense, the General Directorate of Public Health emphasizes prevent the effects of these high temperatures especially in those municipalities of Tenerife and Gran Canaria in which a red notice has been decreedthen it supposes a high health riskso it is important to pay special attention to those people most vulnerable to the negative effects of heat on health.
In this way, the extension of the warnings affects the different municipalities in the following way:
Red Notice (High Risk)
Gran Canaria: Agüimes, La Aldea de San Nicolás, Artenara, Ingenio, Mogán, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Santa Lucía de Tirajana, Santa Brígida, Tejeda, Valsequillo, and Vega de San Mateo until July 26.
Tenerife: Granadilla de Abona, Arona and San Miguel de Abona until July 26.
Orange Warning (Medium Risk)
Gran Canaria: Phone from July 23 to 25.
Tenerife: Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Candelaria from July 24 to 26.
Yellow notice (low risk)
Tenerife: Adeje and La Orotava on July 23 and 24. Arafo, Fasnia and Güímar on July 24 and 25.
Fuerteventura: Pájara and Tuineje on July 23 and 24. Puerto del Rosario and Betancuria on July 24.
The General Directorate of Public Health recalls that this update is produced on the notices already communicated at the beginning of the week and that they were already in force according to these municipalities and dates.
red notice (High risk)
Gran Canaria: from July 19 to 23 in Santa Lucía de Tirajana.
Orange Warning (Medium risk)
Gran Canaria: from July 20 to 23 in La Aldea de San Nicolás, Artenara, Mogán, San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Tejeda. From July 20 to 22 in Agüimes, Ingenio, Valsequillo and Vega de San Mateo.
Tenerife: from July 20 to 22 in Arona, Granadilla de Abona and San Miguel de Abona.
Yellow Warning (Low Risk)
Gran Canaria: on July 20 and 21 in Santa Brígida.
Tenerife: on July 20 and 21 in Adeje. On July 21 and 22 in Fasnia, Güímar and Vilaflor. On July 21 in Arico, La Orotava and Santiago del Teide.
The Palm: on July 21 in Breña Alta, Fuencaliente and Tazacorte.
Fuerteventura: July 21 in Betancuria, Pájara and Tuineje.
recommendations
The General Directorate of Public Health informs the Vice-Ministry of Social Rights of the Government of the Canary Islands and the municipalities, through the Canarian Federation of Municipalities (FECAM), of the areas affected by the forecast of simultaneous exceedance of threshold temperatures, and sends the reminder of the measures they must take on those days to protect the health of the most fragile members of their community.
Drink plenty of water or fluids without waiting to feel thirsty, unless there is a medical contraindication. Avoid alcoholic and very sugary drinks.
Avoid exposing yourself to the sun during the hours of greatest heat intensity (between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.), preferably before 11 a.m. or after 4 p.m.
In the hottest hours, place yourself in the coolest areas of the houses or residences, or, where appropriate, place ventilation or air conditioning devices, or lastly, use fresh damp cloths or take a shower.
Avoid sports activities, excursions or visits abroad in the hottest hours. Carry out these activities in the early hours of the day, in the late afternoon or at night; they should protect themselves from the sun and drink plenty of drinks that replace fluids and mineral salts (juices, isotonic drinks, water, etc.).
Eat light meals that help replenish the salts lost through sweat (salads, fruits, vegetables, gazpachos or juices).
·If you have to go outside, try to be in the shade, wear light and light-colored clothing, protecting yourself from the sun with approved hats or caps and sunglasses. Wear cool, comfortable, breathable shoes.
Be careful with medications, especially those that must be in the refrigerator for proper storage.
Always maintain the food cold chain.
In the event of presenting any symptomatology associated with heat such as headaches, dizziness, cramps, general malaise, a sensation of suffocation due to heat, fatigue or exhaustion, you must contact 1-1-2.
These actions are intended to increase risk prevention capacity by applying measures that are easy and accessible. The plan is aimed at the entire population, and especially designed for the population groups most vulnerable to intense heat, such as the elderly, children and people with chronic pathologies.
All hospitals and the Canary Islands Emergency Service (SUC) have staff designated and specially trained to deal with and effectively coordinate services in the event of a possible heat wave, as well as the communication channels established for adequate surveillance.
Temperature thresholds and risk levels
In order to establish a heat health risk warning, maximum and minimum temperatures must be reached simultaneously. These are the temperature thresholds, which are set each year by the State Meteorological Agency. For the two Canary provinces the temperature threshold is 32 degrees maximum and 24 minimum.
