In Madrid, the summer heat warning alarm was launched on 13th July and will be active until 15th September. This system aims to alert registered households to prevent exposure to high temperatures. At the same time, a space was set up in ABD Madrid for face-to-face consultations on Mondays between 18:00-20:00 hours. The WhatsApp application was used as the platform to implement the system, as it is used by most people of different ages and allows the configuration of alert messages.
The system is made up of three types of alerts: 1. Torrid Nights; 2. High temperatures; 3. Heat waves. The alert messages are sent according to the existing warnings from both the National Plan of preventive actions against the effects of excess temperatures on health and the Heat Wave Information Bulletin of the Community of Madrid. With regard to high temperatures, the alert is sent if during the next three days the temperature will exceed 36.5°C on at least one occasion but will not exceed 38.5°C. For heat waves, the alert is activated when the maximum temperatures forecast for the next four days will be higher than 36.5°C. Finally, for torrid nights, an alert is sent out when the temperature exceeds 25°C. The messages are also accompanied by recommendations for dealing with the heat, as well as links to the official Community of Madrid heat warning pages and emergency contact numbers.
During the month of July, the Cooltorise volunteers, alongside Ecoserveis and ABD professionals, held several workshops at ABD projects and services, as well as in a community centre in Santa Coloma.
The activities were carried out with a group of young mothers in situation of vulnerability from the Preinfant program, the users from the Centres for Attention and Monitoring of Drug Dependency in Sants and Sarrià neighbourhoods, people linked to the community project of social inclusion Comunitat Activa in Hospitalet de Llobregat and the inhabitants of the Homes with services for elderly people in Ciutat Vella and Sant Martí districts in Barcelona. Overall, about 60 people took part in the different sessions to learn more about summer energy culture and electric bills.
