"Having air-conditioned spaces, not only in urban areas but also in rural areas, where the elderly population living in isolation can be taken to a space with a controlled temperature and some health care, would be a measure that complements others," said the specialist.

Energy poverty

In an interview with the Lusa Extra podcast, Susana Viegas, a professor in the Master's program in Environmental Health and Climate Change at the National School of Public Health of NOVA University Lisbon, highlighted "energy poverty," which prevents people from heating or cooling their homes.

In cities, energy poverty takes on other proportions because of phenomena such as the so-called "heat islands," which intensify the effects of heat waves.

“Buildings and asphalt radiate heat after they are heated, and it is known that there can be a greater increase in temperature in a heat wave scenario,” said the expert, adding that municipalities should implement what is recommended at the European level: more green and more blue, with the creation of more parks and more access for the population to riverside or water-filled spaces.

More trees

Regarding the choice of trees, so that the shade reduces heat radiation, she said that they should be native species with short pollination periods, considering it necessary to “think about the population that lives with allergies.”

She recalled that the measures to be implemented by the authorities during heat waves should be at the municipal level – as recommended in Europe – and that teams from the environment, urban planning, park management, and public health should work together.

Heat in hospitals

The specialist also warned about the effects of heat on hospital admissions, a subject of a research project she participated in that analysed 20 years of heat waves and concluded there was a 20% increase in hospital admissions.

"There may be areas of the country where, due to the characteristics of the population, this increase may be greater," she admitted.

The research concluded that the increase occurred in all types of illnesses and that children were the most affected, mainly due to burns from contact with surfaces.

Impact on hospital admissions

Susana Viegas also highlighted that heat waves occurring in May or June have a different impact on hospital admissions than those in July or August, which tend to be vacation periods.

“In May and June, the children are in school, under the care of others, and we are working and have less capacity to manage the space we frequent. In July and August, we tend to be on vacation, and it is possible to choose between being at home, going to the beach, or going to a place with air conditioning. This allows the population to adapt better,” he explained.