More than 1,000 people have died in Portugal due to a recent heat wave and authorities warned today that the country should prepare to face the effects of climate change as temperatures continue to rise.
“Portugal (…) is among those areas of the planet that will be most affected by extreme heat,” Graça Freitas, head of the DGS health service, told Reuters. “We should prepare for periods of high temperatures,” he added.
Last week the thermometer read over 40 degrees Celsius in drought-stricken Portugal. Although the temperature has dropped in recent days, Freitas said it remains above normal levels for the season.
DGS had previously announced that 238 heat-related deaths were recorded from July 7 to 13, but Freitas said today that by July 18 the death toll had risen to 1,063.
Carlos Antunes, a researcher at the University of Lisbon, said that based on the data, those most at risk of dying from the heat are the elderly. In the future, deaths will depend on the preventive measures the world adopts to protect itself and whether the infrastructure will adapt to extreme events. “With climate change, mortality is expected to increase and therefore public health measures should be taken to minimize the effects,” he explained.
Source: Capital
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