817 treated for heatwave-related heat exposure by emergency services

817 people have been treated by emergency medical services (SEM) in Catalonia this week because of the week-long heatwave that saw thermometers skyrocket to over 40ºC in the west and south of the country.

According to data released by SEM, 54% of those treated were sent to medical centers, while the rest were just treated by the staff at 061 medical emergency phone.

Most of the people who needed help were women (54%), as men accounted for the remaining 46%.

Western counties, as well as central Catalonia, the Girona area and the Barcelona coastal towns were the most badly struck regions during the first heatwave of the year, with unseasonal temperatures both during daylight and at night –indeed, during last night, temperatures did not fall under 27ºC in municipalities such as Barcelona or Portbou, in the northeast of Catalonia.

Heavy rain after heatwave

The heatwave was officially gone on Saturday because temperatures go back to normal for early July, as intense rain is expected across the country during the weekend, and especially heavy in the western Pyrenees and central Catalonia on Saturday, and in the Girona counties, the inland area near the Barcelona coast, and central Catalonia on Sunday.

Civil Protection authorities have issued the INUNCAT plan for this weekend after this forecast, calls for "prudence" in practicing open-air activities, and advises against crossing streams or flood-prone areas.