Relationship between heat and mortality in the city of Barcelona through the analysis of thermal and thermo-hygrometric conditions

Abstract

The cause-effect relationship between intense heat and mortality has been widely analyzed and contrasted. However, there is no scientific agreement on which of the meteorological variables is the one that best explains this relationship. The present study analyzes and quantifies the relationship between the meteorological variables of daily minimum (Tmín) and maximum (Tmàx) temperature and daily minimum (Hmín) and maximum (Hmàx) Humidex indices (IH) –combination of temperature and humidity with the mortality variable in the city of Barcelona. The results show that the variables that best explain the relationship between intense heat or heat feel and mortality are the Tmín and the IHmín, and it can be stated that from 25 ºC of Tmín or 33º of IHmín the mortality by heat shoots up.