Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge – June 23, 2025

The Health and Climate Change Observatory (OSCC) of the Spanish Government has published the “Practical Communication Guide: Health and Heat – Summer 2025”, a key document to enhance public communication about the health impacts of extreme heat and to promote self-protection behaviours in the face of climate change.

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The Health and Climate Change Observatory launches a key guide to communicate extreme heat risks and protect public health

Context and Purpose

With summers becoming increasingly longer and hotter, the guide offers practical tools and scientifically based recommendations for journalists, institutional communicators, healthcare professionals, and public authorities to deliver more effective messages to the public about the serious health consequences of extreme heat. The guide notes that hospital admissions can rise by up to 10% during heat waves, especially affecting the elderly, people with chronic illnesses, and vulnerable groups.

Key Recommendations

The guide focuses on:

• Framing messages in terms of high risk and high efficacy, encouraging simple and effective behaviors like staying hydrated and avoiding exposure during peak heat hours.
• Adapting communication to different vulnerability profiles, considering social, economic, and geographic factors.
• Using appropriate tone and visuals, avoiding imagery that suggests heat is enjoyable and risk-free.
• Relying on trusted sources such as healthcare workers, meteorologists, and scientists to increase message credibility.
• Leveraging the Meteosalud alert system, designed to assess health risks from heat, not just meteorological conditions.

Meteosalud Alert System

Meteosalud is the official alert system for health risks due to heat. It aims to inform the public when heat levels become dangerous over one or several consecutive days. Unlike AEMET’s general weather alerts, Meteosalud is specifically focused on health risks. The system uses statistical analyses correlating temperature and mortality by climate zone. It publishes daily risk maps, helping the public take early protective measures. Both AEMET and the Ministry of Health recommend using Meteosalud as the main reference in public health communication during extreme heat events.

About the OSCC

The Health and Climate Change Observatory is an interdisciplinary body involving several Spanish government institutions, including:

• Ministry of Health
• Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge
• Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities
• Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET)
• Carlos III Health Institute
• CIEMAT
• Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition
• Civil Protection
• CCAES, among others.

This guide is part of the OSCC’s mission to integrate health into climate action, contributing to scientifically grounded, empathetic, and effective public communication to build a more resilient society against the growing threat of heatwaves, especially for the elderly, chronically ill, and socially vulnerable.