2023-07-30 12:53:00
The particularly cool temperatures that have accompanied our country for almost a month almost make us forget the heat waves that have affected and still affect certain countries, mainly around the Mediterranean.
An extremely hot climate which is sometimes accompanied by violent storms and which has an important consequence on the cases of medical and technical assistance from abroad.
The Touring organization has taken stock: in the month of July alone, its teams recorded a 26% increase in calls compared to the same period the previous year (26,055 against 20,691 last year).
“The number of interventions also increased by 6% compared to 2022 (6,285 against 5,926).”
In total, the travel assistance organization says it processed 1,220 medical files over the month (+18.6%), while the number of technical files rose to 5,065 (+3.4%). “The persistent heat plays a major role in the increase in the number of medical files, confides Joost Kaesemans, spokesperson for Touring. We have seen an increase in infections and gastrointestinal problems among vacationers due to the consumption of foods and beverages that deteriorate faster in the heat. Also, we encountered issues with dehydration as travelers don’t drink enough water.”
Touring also intervened for many heart problems. “It’s on the increase: people still often practice extreme sports in hot weather, or suffer too great temperature differences by diving into a swimming pool that is too cold. Finally, we have counted a large number of people suffering from heatstroke, which can lead to a sudden feeling of discomfort.”
In total, no less than 555 people have already been repatriated by Touring in July alone. And 490 vehicles were brought back to Belgium.
Touring has seen a very high number of car breakdowns. In question: the heat of southern Europe. ©Belga
As for the technical files, they mainly concerned car breakdowns due to high temperatures. “They were linked to battery problems which suffer as much from the heat as from the cold, to flat tires, to problems with engine overheating and finally to problems with the brakes. “The high temperatures in southern Europe can cause many problems. Hence the importance of having your vehicle checked at a garage and making sure you have enough water in the car to avoid symptoms of dehydration.”
In addition, Touring has received numerous calls following the storms that have hit Italy in recent days, but also following the fires in southern Europe. “From Italy alone we had 300 calls due to hailstorms.”
Finally, Touring also intervened extensively on Belgian soil. With no less than 51,614 calls for assistance in July alone. “Which means that many families have vacationed in our country.”
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