The General Directorate of Emergencies, based on the prediction of AEMET and/or other available sources, and in application of the Specific Emergency Plan of Canary Islands for Risks of Adverse Meteorological Phenomena PEFMA (Decree 18/2014, of March 20), has updated the situation in the autonomous community to alert for maximum temperatures from 3:00 p.m. this Monday.
As reported by the Canarian Government, this update is produced in response to meteorological observations that indicate that the maximum temperature prediction will be at least 34ºC, although they may exceed 38ºC in places more exposed to extreme heat conditions.
In this sense, it indicates that the phenomenon will be especially noticeable on the islands of The iron and La Gomeraas well as on the slopes facing west, south and east of the tenerife islandbeing also particularly significant in the summits and slopes facing west, south and east of the gran canaria island.
Health risk warnings updated until August 20
The Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islandsthrough the General Directorate of Public Health, has updated the notices of the Preventive Action Plan for the Effects of Excess Temperatures on Health in the different islands extending it in some municipalities of Gran Canaria until August 20.
This update, indicates the ministry in a press release, is carried out based on the AEMET forecasts as of August 14, in such a way that on the island of Gran Canaria The municipalities of mogan, San Bartolome de Tirajana and Santa Lucia de Tirajana.
They will be in orange notice Agüimes, Ingenuity, tejeda (until August 15) and in yellow the municipalities of Artenara, The Village of San Nicolás, terror, valleseco and Vega de San Mateo (until August 14), and saint brigid and Valsequillo (Until the 15 of August).
In the fuerteventura island will remain until this Monday in yellow notice the municipality of birdwhile at this level they will be in Tenerife: Arafo, Candelaria and Güímar (until August 14), and San Miguel de Abona (until August 15).
Finally, in the palm island The municipalities of Tazacorte, Tijarafe and El Paso will be on yellow notice (until August 14), and Los Llanos de Aridane (until August 15).
The General Directorate of Public Health, which has coordinated the Preventive Actions Plan for the Effects of Excess Temperatures on Health in the Canary Islands since 2004, has established an epidemiological surveillance system of the impact of high temperatures on the health of the population, coordinated with the assistance and emergency centers of the Canary Islands, as well as the notification to said centers and to the affected town halls of the forecast of alert situations.
The temperature thresholds established in 2023 are 33 degrees Celsius for the Las Palmas province and 34 degrees Celsius for the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Prevention against sunstroke and heat waves
He Canary Emergency Service (SUC), dependent on the Ministry of Health, recalled this Monday the importance of take precautions to prevent sunstroke and heat stroke before the episode of high temperatures that the Canary Islands are experiencing these days.
In a statement, the SUC stresses the importance of acting at the appearance of the first symptoms.
In less serious cases, The person suffering from heat stroke may present with a headache, a flushed face, a feeling of fatigue, nausea or vomiting, intense thirst and profuse sweating.
In severe cases there is no sweating, but the skin is dry, hot and red. In addition, there is a risk of seizures, especially in children under 3 years of age, and of causing alterations of consciousness.
To prevent sunstrokes and heat strokes, he recommends, in the first place, be attentive to alert declarations for high temperatures and put self-protection recommendations into practice.
It also suggests avoid exposure to the sun during hours of greatest intensity -from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.– wear a cap, cool clothes, do not perform intense physical exercise under the sun or in the hottest hours and drink fluids frequently.
The SUC emphasizes that extreme caution should be exercised with children and the elderly, since they are the most susceptible to sunstroke or heat stroke.
It can also influence taking different medications or suffering from certain diseases such as diabetes along with other risk factors.
For all these reasons, the SUC abounds, extreme precautions must be taken with these people who are more prone to this pathology, giving them fluids periodically and trying to cool the room in which they are.
In the event that the first symptoms appear, the affected person should be placed in the shade, in a cool and ventilated place, and it is advisable to put damp cloths on the forehead and flexures (armpits, wrists, groin…) and provide water, but drinking it in small sips.
In addition, it is recommended to place the affected person in the antishock position, that is, lying on their back with their legs slightly raised and their head tilted.
If he presents an alteration of consciousness, the affected person should not be given water or food.
In this case, and also if the skin is dry and hot or if you suffer from seizures, you must urgently call the 1-1-2 emergency telephone number, where the SUC doctors will indicate how to act until the arrival of a health resource, since it could be treated of an emergency, even causing death, due to a general failure of the mechanisms that regulate body temperature.
In recent days, three deaths have been recorded in the Canary Islands that could be related to high temperatures: that of a man who was found lying in an alley in the sun in fataga (Gran Canaria), a woman who was exercising in Moro Jable (Fuerteventura) and another who was hiking in Guide from Isora (Tenerife).
