112 CV and AEMET declare red heat alert for Sagunto on Wednesday
112 Comunitat Valenciana and AEMET have raised the heat warning to red level for the northern coast of Valencia province, active Wednesday 19 August from 13:00 to 20:59, with temperatures up to 43°C in Sagunto.
The heat warning has been raised to red level —extreme risk— for the northern coast of Valencia province, an area that includes Sagunto and Puerto de Sagunto (Sagunto's coastal district). The warning, issued jointly by 112 Comunitat Valenciana (the regional emergency coordination service) and AEMET (Spain's State Meteorological Agency), will be active on Wednesday 19 August, from 13:00 to 20:59, with temperatures that could reach 43°C.
Red is the highest level on the official weather warning scale, and it is not used lightly. According to AEMET itself, it means extraordinary danger: property and vulnerable people, or anyone in an exposed area, could suffer very serious or even catastrophic effects. For its part, the 112 Comunitat Valenciana service, a public body set up by the regional government, is responsible for alerting emergency teams and coordinating their joint response during episodes like this one.
Sagunto City Council has activated its usual extreme-heat protocol, with a set of recommendations aimed especially at those most at risk. The council reminds residents that children under 5 and adults over 65 are the most vulnerable to high temperatures, along with people who are obese, who have chronic illnesses, who take certain medication, or whose jobs and activities involve physical effort.
Among the specific guidelines, the council asks people to keep a close eye on children and older residents, check their condition and how much water they are drinking, and never leave anyone —not even for a few minutes— inside a closed car. It also recommends limiting direct sun exposure as much as possible and, when that is not avoidable, using sunscreen, a hat or cap, and light-coloured, loose clothing that covers most of the body, with special attention to the head.
On food and drink, the council suggests light meals rich in water and minerals, such as fruit and vegetables, drinking water regularly even without feeling thirsty, and avoiding prolonged physical exercise, especially during the hottest hours of the day, when the risk is highest.
For anyone who needs shelter from the heat while out and about, the municipality runs a network of more than 30 climate shelters spread across the town, with a full list available as a downloadable document on the council's website. These are air-conditioned public spaces —libraries, community centres, sports facilities— set up specifically to offer relief during episodes like Wednesday's. The network, running since last June, was created for exactly this kind of extreme-heat day.
The warning arrives at the height of summer, when the municipality sees its busiest crowds on the beaches of Puerto de Sagunto and heavy outdoor activity linked to the area's industrial and farming sectors. Because of this, the council is extending its advice to outdoor workers too, asking them to schedule the most demanding tasks outside the central hours of the day and to take frequent breaks in the shade or in cooled spaces.
Concern about heatstroke is not limited to the general public: just a week ago, the local body SAG handed out around 460 preventive bracelets to its staff in Sagunto, a device designed to give early warning to people who work exposed to the sun. The gesture shows how seriously high temperatures are now being taken as a workplace safety issue, beyond the general public advice.
With this summer bringing increasingly extreme readings across Camp de Morvedre (the district around Sagunto), the council says the main recommendation remains the simplest one: stay informed through official sources —the council itself, AEMET and 112 CV— and act with caution while the red warning is in force. According to Ajuntament de Sagunt (Sagunto City Council), with additional data from AEMET and 112 Comunitat Valenciana.