Long hot summer concerns

THE government has announced plans for a new department to investigate and alleviate the effects of higher temperatures on human health.

Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera said that a Health and Climate Change Observatory will be set up to look at the impact of extreme weather.

With summer temperatures reaching new highs, Ribera said vulnerable people like the elderly were at risk and more work is needed to understand how to prepare for longer, hotter summers.

“We must investigate what happens to our bodies in response to the effects of climate change, in order to mitigate the consequences on our health,” Ribera commented.