Torrevieja City Council has announced in a statement that it is suspending all outdoor activities and closing parks and gardens today, Thursday, 23rd July, due to a red alert for extreme temperatures on the southern coast of Alicante. Maximum temperatures are expected to reach up to 42 degrees Celsius in the Vega Baja region during the middle of the day. Temperatures could reach 37 degrees Celsius along the coast. The measure is also being taken in anticipation of strong winds and possible hail during the afternoon, and the possibility of raising the red flag on beaches to prohibit swimming in the municipality is also being considered.
Starting at midnight on Thursday, all outdoor activities in the city are suspended. Municipal parks and gardens are also closed. Outdoor sports activities are prohibited at the Sports Complex and all other municipal facilities. The only exception is the outdoor swimming pool, which will remain open until 2:30 p.m.
Summer schools, schools, and daycare centres must suspend outdoor activities for the day. From 3:00 p.m. onwards, the City Council is suspending all activities at the Sports Complex and other municipal facilities due to the possibility of extreme heat coinciding with strong gusts of wind or storms. Public transportation will continue to operate normally. The City Council recommends avoiding prolonged exposure to the sun, especially during the hottest hours of the day, and reducing unnecessary travel.
The alert particularly affects the elderly, vulnerable populations, and people with cardiovascular problems. It also poses a risk to any outdoor activity during the hottest hours. As with other weather alerts, the local government has disseminated its alert and the measures to be taken after learning of the actions adopted by other municipalities. For example, the Orihuela council has prohibited swimming at the beaches from 5:00 PM, when heat bursts and possible storms are expected.
If these forecasts are confirmed, swimming will also be prohibited in Torrevieja as a precaution against this “episode of extraordinary danger” due to the adverse sea conditions predicted, especially during the afternoon. The measures, decided by mayoral decree, were announced at 9:30 p.m. “In any case,” the municipal statement adds, “beachgoers are advised to remove umbrellas and other similar beach equipment during the afternoon” of Thursday.
The alert for temperatures of 42 degrees Celsius is focused primarily on the inland areas of the Vega Baja region. While not impossible, it is unlikely that the thermometer will reach that limit in the coastal area. To minimise its impact on the most vulnerable population, the City Council has established the Virgen del Carmen Cultural Centre as a “climate shelter,” which will remain open from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and the La Mata Sports Pavilion, which will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
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