Spain will ban some outdoor work in extreme heat : Labor Minister Yolanda Diaz

Spain: Spain will ban some outdoor work in extreme heat as the country faces regular high temperatures as a result of climate change, Labor Minister Yolanda Diaz said.

The ban comes into effect when the national meteorological agency AAEMET issues a warning of extreme or extreme risk of high temperatures. The labor ministry added that the measure would affect outdoor jobs such as street cleaning and agriculture. It was not immediately clear how the measure announced by Diaz would apply to workers such as farmers, police, firefighters, gardeners or cleaners. In places accustomed to high temperatures, such as Spain's southern Andalusia region, construction workers only work in the summer mornings.

Last year a temporary street cleaner died of heatstroke while working in Madrid. "We have already seen several episodes in cleaning and waste collection, certainly very serious ones, in which workers have died of heat stroke," Ms Diaz told reporters. Climate change is already affecting people, so the government must take action, she said.

The move is part of a package to be approved by the Socialist-led government in the coming days in response to the prolonged drought currently affecting parts of Spain. However, the law does not apply to public pools or hotels. To cope with the heat, some regions, such as southern Andalusia or Madrid, allow students to go home early in case of heat waves.

Spain's reservoirs are on average below 50% of their capacity, while the two worst-hit regions, Andalusia and the north-eastern region of Catalonia, have seen water levels drop to around 25%. The first four months of 2023 will see less than half of the average rainfall.

So far this year, Spain has had hotter than normal days, more than double what is observed for an entire year. Spain's swimming pools are getting hotter.

A law expected to come into effect in the coming days will prevent residents in Catalonia's north-east region, including Vacarisses, from filling up empty pools, suggesting an unusually hot upcoming summer will equal last year's brutality (the hottest on record).