The yellow warning, the least serious on a scale of three, is issued whenever there is a risk situation for certain activities depending on the weather situation.
The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) has placed six districts of mainland Portugal under yellow warning due to cold weather between midnight on Monday and 9am on Tuesday.
According to information from the the districts of Bragança, Viseu, Guarda, Vila Real, Castelo Branco and Portalegre are under this warning, due to the “persistence of low minimum temperature values”.
The yellow warning, the least serious on a scale of three, is issued whenever there is a risk situation for certain activities depending on the weather situation.
Precautions for the cold
The Directorate-General for Health (DGS) warns in a note published in its that “when the temperature drops, the risk of respiratory diseases, worsening of chronic conditions and accidents increases”.
To protect yourself from the negative effects of the cold on your health, the DGS leaves several recommendations to the population, such as avoiding sudden changes in temperature, wearing layers of clothing, protecting your extremities with a hat, gloves and warm socks and wearing non-slip footwear to prevent falls.
Keeping your skin hydrated, especially your face, hands and lips, drinking water and hot drinks and eating soup are other recommendations, so that the population stays hydrated and warm.
At home, you should avoid sitting for more than an hour at a time, to reduce the risk of developing health problems and help keep your body warm.
The DGS also advises the population to eat “more frequent meals, shortening the hours between meals”, and to increase the consumption of foods rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, such as, for example, fruits and vegetables, as they help to reduce the appearance of infections.
On the other hand, you should avoid consuming fried foods, with a lot of fat or sugar.
The DGS also asks for special attention to the most vulnerable: “small children, elderly people, people with chronic illnesses, outdoor workers or people in isolation or homelessness”.
It also advises the population to plan in advance and confirm that they have enough medicines and food, in case it becomes more difficult to leave the house, and, for those who cannot leave the house, it recommends that they identify other people who can help them get food and medicines.
Outside, due to the cold, physical exertion should be avoided.
