Rio City Hall announces measures for upcoming days of extreme heat forecast

Rio City Hall announced this Sunday (February 16) at the Operations and Resilience Center (COR-Rio) the measures to guide the population for the coming days, in which high temperatures are expected. According to the Alerta Rio System, Monday (February 02) and Tuesday (February 17) could be the hottest days of this week: they should break the record for the month of February, which is 02°C (temperature recorded in February 18 at the Irajá station).

Among the measures announced by Mayor Eduardo Paes, in case the city reaches Heat Level 4, are the opening of 58 cooling points, a break for hydration of employees who work exposed to the sun, and preparation of the municipal health network for the increase in cases resulting from high temperatures. The City Hall also recommends increasing water intake, wearing light clothing and avoiding direct exposure to the sun during peak heat hours.

– Today, science allows us to have a greater degree of predictability and understand the harmful effects of this excess heat on people’s health. In addition to the risks that it can cause, which can even lead to death. We want everyone to leave their homes happy, enjoying our city. It’s no wonder that Rio is the city of public spaces and beaches. This makes us proud, it’s part of our city, and it won’t change, but the situation is going to get hotter. So, we have a forecast of a lot of heat, a lot of sun, and, as a result, the risks increase.

Also participating were the deputy mayor, Eduardo Cavaliere, the chief executive of COR-Rio, Marcus Belchior, the municipal secretary of Health, Daniel Soranz, the municipal secretary of Environment and Climate, Tainá de Paula, and the chief meteorologist of the Alerta Rio System, Raquel Franco.

Heat protocol

Since June, COR-Rio has been monitoring heat levels. The classification has five risk levels – from Heat 1 to Heat 5 – which vary depending on the temperature and relative humidity recorded in the city.

The heat level also considers numerical temperature forecast models estimated for three days and updated every four hours. In the first three levels, the city government carries out communication actions with the population. Check it out here the complete protocol with the actions to be carried out at each level.

The protocol also establishes rules for holding events in the city from Heat 5 onwards.

According to Marcus Belchior, event producers have already been adapting since the creation of the protocol.

– When the producer approves an event, he becomes aware of the heat protocol and this makes him take climate adaptation actions such as distributing water and sunscreen, sprinklers... All of this is already being done and we notice a change in behavior.

Of the first 45 days of 2025, Rio was outside Heat 27 for 1 of them, according to data from the Center for Epidemiological Intelligence (CIE).

According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), January 2025 was the warmest January on record, with a global average temperature of 13,23°C, exceeding the 0,79-1991 average by 2020°C and pre-industrial levels by 1,75°C.

Alerta Rio indicates that this month of February should be one of the driest on record. The average rainfall recorded so far is 0,5 mm.

During the presentation, the Municipal Health Department detailed the measures to be adopted, according to the Heat Protocol. Among the actions are the preparation of the health network for the increase in cases, such as assistance and prevention, communication, health surveillance and sanitary surveillance.

It is essential that the population stays up to date on weather conditions and follows guidelines to avoid damage to health caused by high temperatures.

Symptoms resulting from extreme heat include: increased breathing rate, worsening of allergies and asthma, worsening of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, liver damage, cramps, muscle spasms, weakness, headaches, dizziness, irritability, loss of coordination, mental confusion, delirium, anxiety, loss of consciousness, seizures, strokes, arrhythmia, rapid heartbeat, reduced blood flow to the heart, heart attack. In addition, kidney disease and kidney failure.

According to Secretary Daniel Soranz, the month of January saw an increase in patient visits with heat-related problems.

– The Health Department has already noticed an increase in the number of people seeking emergency care for heat-related problems, especially dehydration and decompensation of chronic diseases. In January alone, we estimate that around 3 people were treated for heat-related problems. We are also very concerned about the elderly and children because they have a lower sensation of thirst and it is important for mothers to be aware of dehydration in their children.

The SMS recommends increasing water intake, wearing light clothing and avoiding direct exposure to the sun during peak heat hours. In case of more severe symptoms, seek medical attention.

Carnival

This year's Street Carnival required new rules for block producers who need to adopt adaptation measures to reduce the heat. Therefore, inspectors from Riotur and the Municipal Department of Public Order are working to ensure that the measures are complied with.

World panorama

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the planet has been breaking records for hottest years on record. The fifth hottest year in history was 2022. In 2023 and 2024, global average temperatures were recorded above the pre-industrial baseline (1,45° and 1,55°C higher, respectively).

Category:

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• Health

February 16, 2025

Appointments: heat Operation center COR environment and climate Protocol for Coping with Extreme Heat health