The equatorial nights are here

When the heat comes we usually focus our attention the maximum temperatures that exceed, sometimes, the 40º Celsius brand. It is normal: extreme heat can affect us in many ways, also putting our health at risk. But it is also not true that there are other temperature records that also deserve our attention, the minimum temperatures.

Another torrid night. 27.2º Celsius. Is the minimum temperature registered this morning at the Águilas weather station, in Murcia. It might seem an anomaly, and it is, but it is a widespread anomaly: about twenty weather stations in the southeast peninsular have not seen the temperature lower the 26th during tonight, a week after the last heat wave was terminated.

If we go back, until the days of the heat wave, we will find temperatures minimum even higher. In Osuna, Seville, the minimum temperatures exceeded 28th several days and early on the 29th Cabo de Creus station did not fall from 28.7º.

According to data from the State Meteorology Agency (Aemet), during the month of June, Three stations reached records of higher minimal temperatures with records that exceeded 25º: were the Barcelona airport (25.8º), rate (25.2º), and Castelló – Almassora (25º).

From the tropical night to the equatorial. Sometimes we have talked about the so -called tropical nights. These occur when the minimum temperatures do not fall from the 20th Celsuis and suppose a problem for our well -being because if we fail to refresh our environment, our rest will be resentful.

However, the temperatures seen in many areas of the Peninsula during the last weeks exceeded the 20º barrier, they even exceeded the 25th. When mercury exceeds this figure we use another term, The Equatorial Nights (or also Torrid nights).

If achieving a break during tropical nights is difficult, the work is further complicated with temperatures of this magnitude.

A growing problem. Of course, this phenomenon is not new. The problem It arises from the fact that this type of night begins before, they are increasingly frequent and each time they occur in larger areas.

What to do to prepare. If we have the option, a fan or air conditioning can be of great help. While it is not usually a good idea that these devices work throughout the night, we can use the air conditioning to cool the stay in which we will sleep or use the fan during the beginning of the night to cool.

There are no miraculous recipes That they make us sleep better in these contexts, but it is helpful to maintain good sleep hygiene (regular schedules, avoid screens before bedtime, etc.) and avoid habits that can alter our body temperature such as exercise in the last hours of the day or abundant dinners and with very hot dishes.

In Xataka | We have good news about the extreme heat of this summer. It will be carried compared to the one in the coming years

Image | Greg Pupas / ECMWF