Spain sets up national network of climate shelters to combat urban heat

Urban heat island effect

” data-image-caption=”" data-medium-file=”https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/urban_heat_island_effect.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/urban_heat_island_effect.jpg?w=614″ src=”https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/urban_heat_island_effect.jpg?w=300″ alt=”" width=”300″ height=”172″ class=”alignright size-medium wp-image-42615″ srcset=”https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/urban_heat_island_effect.jpg?w=300 300w, https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/urban_heat_island_effect.jpg?w=600 600w, https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/urban_heat_island_effect.jpg?w=150 150w” sizes=”(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px” />
Spain has had heatwaves for centuries or more, but is now reacting to the increased urban heat island effect as its cities expand. Adaptation to changing weather conditions makes sense but blaming humans as the main cause, based on disputed climate theories, doesn’t.
– – –
In 2025, the country experienced its hottest summer on record, says Euronews.

Spain is setting up a nationwide network of climate shelters ahead of next summer, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Wednesday.

A series of government buildings will offer people refuge from the increasingly intense heatwaves the country has been experiencing during the hottest months of the year.

The network will incorporate climate shelters that have already been set up in Barcelona and the Basque Country.

Heatwaves are ‘the new normal’ in Spain
At a conference on Wednesday, Sanchez detailed the country’s plan to address the growing severity of climate change through 80 initiatives.

The measures cover issues such as flooding, wildfires, and false information on climate change, alongside rising temperatures. [Talkshop comment – whose false information, and according to what evidence?]

“Devastating droughts and heatwaves are no longer rare. Some summers, it’s not separate waves we face, but one long heatwave stretching from June through August. This is now the new normal,” he said.

In 2025, the country experienced its hottest summer on record. A 16-day heatwave in August saw temperatures top 45°C, according to the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET).

The average temperature in Spain has risen by 1.69°C between 1961 and 2024, leading to more frequent episodes of above-normal temperatures.

Climate change is driving this rise in temperatures and the increasing occurrence of extreme heat events, as confirmed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s analysis of global temperature trends. [Talkshop comment – circular argument].

Spain is building a national network of climate shelters
The new climate shelters will provide spaces for people across the country to stay cool next summer.

These are particularly vital in urban areas. “The heat island effect is intensified in these heatwaves and usually happens in cities,” data scientist Manuel Banza told Euronews Green.

Full article here.
– – –
Image: Urban heat island effect