Spain to Text Message Heat Warnings

It gets hot in southern Spain. So, thanks to a new text messaging service, when the temperature passes 41 degrees Celsius (105.9 F), the Andalucia government will send out an SMS warning of high temperatures. The Spanish government says the new service is aimed at families with young children and the elderly, as well as those living alone.

The Spanish government says it is forecasting a hotter summer than last year, when 39 deaths were blamed on the heat. Europe as a whole saw an extremely hot summer in 2003, when 141 in Spain alone were killed by heat-related illnesses. It was much worse in France, where thousands died due to a lack of proper air conditioning across the country.