The Health Department of the Canary Islands Government, through the Directorate General of Public Health, has issued health risk warnings due to high temperatures expected in the coming days in various areas of the islands of Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and El Hierro.
An algorithm has been established for the allocation of risk levels, taking into account the forecasted maximum temperatures, threshold temperatures, and risk factors of the 13 meteoHealth zones created in Canarias for temperature monitoring.
The areas affected by the temperature rise are municipalities in the southern, eastern, and western zones of Gran Canaria (34 ºC) and the highlands area of Gran Canaria (33ºC), the metropolitan and northern areas of Tenerife, and El Hierro island.
Gran Canaria (23rd to 25th July)
Tenerife (23rd to 25th July)
- Orange warning: Candelaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
- Yellow warning: La Orotava.
El Hierro (23rd to 25th July)
- Yellow warning: El Pinar.
Alert map / E. D.
The Directorate General of Public Health has established a system for epidemiological surveillance of the impact of high temperatures on the population’s health, coordinated with healthcare and emergency centres in the Canary Islands, notifying these centres and the affected municipalities of the forecasted alert situations.
Temperature thresholds and meteoHealth zones in Canarias
On June 17, the new alert system was activated in Canarias for thirteen meteoZones. These areas are determined by the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) for meteorological prediction purposes with similar climatological phenomena (FMA) and, therefore, can be considered territorially homogeneous areas from a climatological perspective in terms of daily temperature behaviour.
The meteoHealth zones in Canarias with their corresponding temperature thresholds, whose exceedance can trigger risk warnings, are as follows:
- In Tenerife island: metropolitan area (31º C), Northern zone (32º C), and Southern, Eastern, and Western zone (34º C).
- In Gran Canaria island: Northern zone – capital (32º C), Gran Canaria Highlands (33º C), and Southern, Eastern, and Western zone (34º C).
- In La Palma island: La Palma Highlands (35º C), Eastern Zone (30º C), and Western Zone (35º C).
- The remaining zones correspond to the island territories of: Lanzarote (34º C), Fuerteventura (34º C), La Gomera (33º C), and El Hierro (31º C).
Risk levels
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The health risk levels for situations of excess heat, as determined by the Ministry of Health, are based on a decision algorithm.
Based on this algorithm, which is built on the forecasted maximum temperatures, the established threshold, the number of days of persistence (at least three), and the risk factors of each area, four risk levels are determined:
- Level 0 (green), representing no risk.
- Level 1 (yellow), indicating low risk.
- Level 2 (orange), signifying a medium risk.
- Level 3 (red), reflecting a high risk.
Recommendations for high temperatures
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Vulnerability to high temperatures includes personal risk factors such as being over 65 years old, infants, pregnant women, etc.; environmental factors, local conditions (homeless individuals, athletes, especially hikers), and occupational risks among others. Recommendations aimed at the particularly vulnerable population are:
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- Stay in cool places as much as possible, in the shade or air-conditioned, and cool off whenever needed.
- Reduce physical activity and avoid outdoor sports during the hottest hours of the day.
- Drink water or liquids frequently, even if not thirsty and regardless of physical activity.
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, or sugary drinks as they can lead to dehydration.
- Pay special attention to: babies, children, pregnant or nursing women, as well as older people or individuals with conditions that could be worsened by heat (such as heart diseases, kidney issues, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cancer, mobility impairments, dementia and other mental illnesses, as well as substance abuse). However, anyone can experience heat-related problems.
- Wear loose, breathable clothing.
- Do not leave anyone in a parked, closed vehicle (especially minors, elderly, or those with chronic conditions).
- Seek medical advice if experiencing symptoms lasting more than an hour that may be related to high temperatures.
- Consume light meals to replenish lost salts due to sweat (salads, fruits, vegetables, juices, etc.).
- Store medications in a cool place; heat can alter their composition and effectiveness.
