Heat and sun safety

It is for anyone considering, planning or carrying out a move to Spain. You will learn how heat works in Spain, how to spot heat illness, and how to keep yourself, your family and your pets safe.

Start with "How bad Spanish heat waves (olas de calor) get". It explains what counts as a heat wave, how thresholds differ by region, how long episodes last and how daily life changes. Then read "Heat exhaustion and heatstroke: signs and what to do", so you know when to cool someone down, call 112 or go to hospital.

The other pages cover tropical nights, your first summer, children, older relatives, pets, and sun and UV. Pick the ones that match your household.

Key rules

• Fan limit: Fans stop helping and can make heat stress worse once the air is around 35 °C or above.
• Heatstroke: If someone shows confusion, fainting, seizures or a body temperature of 40 °C or more, call 112 straight away and cool them while you wait.
• Heat wave: Only AEMET declares an ola de calor, and it needs at least 3 consecutive days of widespread extreme heat.
• Two systems: AEMET colour warnings and Ministry of Health heat-risk levels are separate and use different zones and thresholds.
• Emergency number: 112 works anywhere in Spain for life-threatening situations, and 061 is the health emergency line in most regions.
• Water: Give sips of water only if the person is fully conscious.

Heat and sun safety: the whole process, step by step

• Learn how heat waves are defined and how long they last (read: How bad Spanish heat waves (olas de calor) get): Before summer starts; heat waves usually last from 3 days to 2 weeks, and recent ones have lasted 16 to 18 days

• Let your body adapt, especially if you come from a cooler place (read: Your first Spanish summer: acclimatising if you come from a cooler place): In your first 1 to 2 weeks of heat; most adaptation happens in the first 4 to 7 days

• Set up sun protection and heat habits for babies and children (read: Protecting children from heat at school and play; Sun and UV in Spain: protecting skin and eyes): Before the hot months; keep babies under 6 months out of direct sun entirely

• Start parasite prevention for dogs and cats (read: Pets in the Spanish climate: heat, pavements and local parasites): Before sandfly and mosquito season in spring, and continuing through autumn or all year

• Prepare for hot nights and for older relatives (read: Tropical nights: sleeping when it never cools down; Older relatives and heat: risks and public cool places (refugios climáticos)): Before the first heat wave, then through the whole period of high heat

• Act on heat illness (read: Heat exhaustion and heatstroke: signs and what to do): Straight away when someone is confused, faints, has seizures or reaches a body temperature of 40 °C or more: call 112 and cool them while you wait

• Re-adapt after time away from heat: If you spend a few weeks in a cool place, adaptation fades, so build up exposure again gradually

Heat and sun safety: questions that cross several articles

What counts as a heat wave and a heat warning in Spain?

A heat wave is at least 3 consecutive days with unusually high maximum temperatures at a share of reference stations. Warnings come in four colours, from green to red, and the trigger temperature differs by zone.

Is there a health alert system separate from weather warnings?

Yes, the Ministry of Health runs its own heat-risk system with four levels, from low (green) to high (red), set for each local zone. It runs roughly from 1 June to 30 September. Read How bad Spanish heat waves (olas de calor) get and Older relatives and heat for who is most protected.

Can heatstroke happen at night?

Yes, heatstroke can happen at night, especially in older people, babies and people with chronic illness in homes that stay hot. Read Tropical nights: sleeping when it never cools down for cooling habits, and Heat exhaustion and heatstroke: signs and what to do for signs and first aid.

Is it illegal to leave a child or pet in a parked car in the heat?

Yes, it can be a criminal offence, because leaving a child in danger or harming an animal is covered by general criminal rules, and local fines can be large. The inside of a car can pass 50 °C within minutes. If you see someone trapped, call 112. Read Protecting children from heat at school and play and Pets in the Spanish climate.

How do I protect a baby from both heat and sun?

Keep babies under 6 months out of direct sun entirely, using shade, clothing and a hat, and offer milk feeds more often rather than extra water. Read Protecting children from heat at school and play and Sun and UV in Spain: protecting skin and eyes.