These are the thresholds that Aemet establishes for "red or orange" warnings due to extreme temperatures

After the approval of a package of measures for drought and heat in Spain, the Government has highlighted the new obligations of companies whose workers carry out their work in hours of extreme heat, but what is Aemet's maximum temperature threshold for activate red or orange warnings?

The thresholds are not the same for all of Spain, but depend on the different regions, and in general, the red warning is issued from 40-44 degrees, while the orange is between 37-40 degrees, explained Rubén Del Campo, spokesperson for Aemet.

The different established levels (red and orange) are usually “more restrictive in the southern half of the peninsula, and milder in mountainous areas and in the extreme north”, although, in general, they are “very well established”, Del Campo has qualified.

Protection for workers

The Government has approved this Thursday a series of measures to protect workers against heat waves, which include the prohibition of carrying out certain tasks in a few hours when there is an orange alert or a red alert for high temperatures issued by the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet ).

The measure is part of the royal decree-law approved this Thursday to deal with the effects of climate change and establishes the specific obligation to provide adequate measures for the protection of workers in the face of extreme temperatures.

The spokesman explained that regarding the red level, “it is launched very few times a year” and it supposes “an extraordinary danger”. It is a very adverse and very rare meteorological phenomenon in which vulnerable goods and the population or in exposed areas could suffer very serious or catastrophic impacts. In addition, with “the red notice you cannot travel, unless it is strictly necessary”, recalled Del Campo.

For the orange level, and depending on the different communities, the temperature range ranges between 37-40 degrees and, according to Aemet, with this warning “the danger is important” and vulnerable goods and the population or in exposed areas could suffer serious impacts, for which reason they recommend that citizens “be prepared”.

Autonomous communities

By autonomous community, in Andalusia, one of the communities most affected by extreme heat, the red warning would be activated with maximum temperatures ranging from 44 degrees in the Cordoba and Seville countryside and in Grazalema (Cádiz) to 42 degrees in Sol and Guadalhorce (Malaga); in the same community, and for the orange level it has to be between 39 and 40 degrees, depending on the areas.

In the center of the peninsula, the Community of Madrid, for example, the red alert would be activated with maximum temperatures of 42 degrees in the metropolitan area, Henares, south, Las Vegas and the west, and 40 degrees in the Madrid mountains. As for the orange alert, 39 degrees are needed in all areas, except in the Madrid mountains, which is 37 degrees.

In other communities in the northern half, such as Galicia and Castilla y León, the threshold for the red warning ranges between 40 and 42 degrees, and for the orange between 37 and 39 degrees.. However, in Castilla-La Mancha the red level is activated with maximums between 40-44 degrees and the orange with 37-40 degrees.