Costa Blanca

Benidorm studies the temperature of its streets to understand “heat island effect”

What is the most scorching location in Benidorm? The inquiry may appear trivial; however, it can assist us in comprehending the city’s response to the “heat island effect.” And that is the objective of the City Council: to ascertain the temperature of various busy or well-known areas of the municipality in order to make future decisions and implement measures to mitigate the impact on residents and travellers.

To this end, the Department of Public Space is conducting a study in collaboration with the University of Valencia to comprehend the impact of this influence. The objective is to determine the areas or locations in the municipality that are impacted by this effect by utilising scientific and research data. This will enable the implementation of decisions and measures to mitigate the effect and enhance the climate comfort of the population.

Additionally, how? Initially, 20 sensors (thermometers) have been deployed in a variety of locations throughout the municipality, including seafront promenades, parks, educational areas, and busy spaces with high volumes of residents and tourists. For more than one month, they have been gathering data. In other words, they collect temperature data at specific locations, resulting in a “mesh” of detailed information, as elucidated by Francis Muñoz, the councillor for the region, and Adrián Ferrandis, a researcher at the University of Valencia.

The data is currently undergoing analysis, following the completion of the initial sampling. Ferrandis clarified that the provisional data obtained indicates that “there are significant differences of between two and three degrees Celsius in several areas,” despite the fact that it is still too early to draw conclusions. This is contingent upon the soil type and the degree of naturalisation in the region. In other words, whether the pavement is less heat-retaining or there are fewer or more trees. This, however, is only the initial phase; a subsequent measurement will be conducted in June.

Adrián Ferrandis further stated that the data collected will be compared “from one measurement to another to obtain a very rough understanding of the situation.” Lastly, the university will compile a report that will be submitted to the City Council, providing guidance on the decisions that should be made.

Benidorm has specific streets or avenues that offer a respite for residents and tourists while they are wandering through the streets in the full sun. This is particularly true if the streets are characterised by tall vegetation that provides shade. This is the case with Avenida del Mediterráneo, which, following a comprehensive renovation, is now adorned with substantial trees in the modernised area. Therefore, the temperature can fluctuate by as much as five degrees during the summer from this bustling street to a mere few metres from the Levante promenade, where the sun is at its most intense.

The City Council intends to verify each of these concerns with dependable data. Muñoz stated that the areas under investigation are meticulously examined; they are not determined arbitrarily or without consideration. The research will enable the formulation of decisions regarding the implementation of “measures such as the renaturalisation of spaces or the implementation of textile architecture,” including shade. The study’s ultimate objective is to “provide the city with an adequate amount of data to establish its priorities in accordance with the information it possesses in order to enhance the comfort of its citizens.”

The activity in this area is a component of Benidorm’s Climate Change Action Plan. The ultimate objective is to “improve and adapt the city to ensure that its spaces are more comfortable for people in terms of temperature.” It is imperative to have the most comprehensive data available to aid the City Council in its subsequent decision-making, the design of the actions to be taken, and the areas in which they will be implemented in order to accomplish this. “It is a scientific method that will ascertain the regions that are affected by the heat island effect, allowing us to reduce it through climate corridors or spaces,” Ferrandis continued.

Discover more from Costa Blanca Daily

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Related Topics:Benidorm Council People Public Tourists University Valencia

Up Next

Russian fugitive arrested in Alicante

Don't Miss

Alicante will recognize the bravery of two local police officers for saving lives in a fire

Click to comment

Costa Blanca

Residents of El Mojón in Pilar de la Horadada will receive mail at their homes

The National Commission of Markets and Competition has determined that the delivery of standard postal items in the population entity of El Mojón, which is located in the municipalities of San Pedro del Pinatar (Murcia) and Pilar de la Horada (Alicante), must be made to the mailbox of homes or premises. Consequently, the Commission of Markets and Competition has directed the State Company Correos y Telégrafos to commence deliveries to home mailboxes within the next fifteen days.

This agreement is advantageous to the 581 residents of El Mojón, which encompasses an area of 57.09 hectares and includes 1,473 residences and 19 commercial establishments in the municipality of Pilar de la Horadada.

This is in accordance with the requests of the town councils and residents’ associations, who requested that the Commission of Markets and Competition acknowledge El Mojón for home letter delivery. El Mojón has a comprehensive system of facilities that are dispersed throughout its area, including urban green areas, educational, sports, cultural, healthcare, and administrative facilities. This system integrates these elements into a single, continuous urban element, which gives the population entity the characteristics of an urban centre. The fact that it is considered a Zone of Great Tourist Affluence throughout the year for the purposes of business hours and, above all, that it presents continuity with the population centres of Torre de la Horadada and Mil Palmeras, cannot be equated to a set of independent and differentiated urbanisations.

Additionally, there was a comparative grievance regarding the distribution of standard postal items in Mil Palmeras and Torre de la Horadada, where these items are being delivered.

José María Pérez, the mayor of Pilar de la Horadada, expressed his incomprehension regarding the fact that individuals who possess properties with odd numbers on Alhelí Street, which divides the urban centres of El Mojón and Torre de la Horadada, are not receiving letters at their residences, while those who possess properties with even numbers are receiving them in their mailboxes.

The case bears resemblance to the file that the Commission of Markets and Competition handled to facilitate the delivery of standard postal items to residents in the following areas of Orihuela Costa: Dehesa de Campoamor, Cabo Roig, La Zenia, La Zenia II, La Regia, and Mil Palmeras.

Discover more from Costa Blanca Daily

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Costa Blanca

More than 200 paddlers compete in the 16th edition of the Eurochallenge in Villajoyosa

The 16th iteration of the Eurochallenge, the Sea Kayaking World Cup, begins today and is organised by the Villajoyosa Yacht Club. The Downwind, the championship’s principal event, is set to commence tomorrow, Friday May 1st, with over 200 rowers representing 15 nationalities already present in Villajoyosa. The athletes will commence the competition at the central shoreline and travel 22 miles to Campello.

Representatives of the Spanish Canoeing Federation, the General Director of Sports, Luis Cervera, the Mayor of Vila Joiosa, Marcos Zaragoza, and the Sports Councillor, Peyo Lloret, will participate in the trophy ceremony in the afternoon, following the spectacular lifesaving event on the central beach on Friday May 2nd.

This competition, which is considered a World Cup this year, unites the world’s most accomplished paddlers and is distinguished by the quantity of participants, as well as the quality and diversity of nationalities that establish this international sea kayak series as a benchmark in the international calendar.

The following paddlers are among the participants: the world and European champions Rice, Fenn, and Hart from South Africa, Vilella from France, Pereira from Portugal, and Harbrecht from Germany, as well as Kira Bester from South Africa, the French Le Roux and Delrieux, and the Spanish Bunnett. In terms of the local athletes, Marian Hernández is performing exceptionally well this year, thanks to her impressive times. Sara Mengual has secured second and third place finishes at the last two World Championships, and juvenile Andrea Jiménez has recently attained European qualification.
The 16th edition of the Eurochallenge, which is organised by the Villajoyosa Yacht Club, is made possible by the collaboration of the Vila Joiosa City Council, the Valencian Government, the Superior Council of Sports, the Alicante Provincial Council, the International Canoeing Federation, the Royal Spanish Canoeing Federation, the Canoeing Federation of the Valencian Community, and numerous other entities, including the Campello Yacht Club and the Altea Yacht Club.

The Eurochallenge has emerged as a prelude to the Sea Kayaking World Championship, which Villajoyosa will host in 2026, and it has become a prominent sports competition on a global scale. It welcomes athletes and travellers from a variety of backgrounds.

Discover more from Costa Blanca Daily

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Costa Blanca

Aena closed the first quarter of 2025 with a profit of 301.3 million euros

Aena’s net profit for the first quarter of 2025 was €301.3 million, which represents an increase from €261 million in the same period of the previous year. The gross operating profit was €643.6 million, with a margin of 48.6%. In comparison to 2024 (€581.1 million), this figure indicates a 10.8% increase.

The total consolidated revenue for the first quarter of 2025 was €1,325.6 million, a 7.5% increase from the same period in the previous year. Aeronautical revenue was €683.6 million, while commercial revenue was €441.1 million.

The Brazilian Airports Block (BOAB) consolidation generates €46.8 million in revenue and €25.7 million in EBITDA. The Aena Group (Spain, London-Luton, and Aena Brazil) expanded its passenger traffic to 78.3 million, a 4.9% increase from 2024.

The number of passengers at Spanish airports increased by 4.7%, reaching 63.6 million. The timing of Easter, which occurred in March last year and April this year, as well as the fact that last year was a leap year, has an impact on the comparative figures with the same period in 2024.

Investments

The investment, which totalled 203.1 million euros between January and March 2025, was primarily directed towards the enhancement of operational safety and airport facilities.

In the first quarter of 2025, Aena Group’s OPEX, which encompasses procurement, personnel, and other operating expenses, increased to €691.9 million from €659.9 million in the same period of 2024. The evolution of these expenses is indicative of the group’s personnel expenses (+10.7%) and the Spanish network’s expenses for items such as electricity (+22.4%), maintenance (+9.5%), and security (+8.3%).

The year-on-year increase in other operating expenses at the Spanish airport network was €17.1 million, which is 4.7% higher than the corresponding period from January to March 2024, excluding the impact of energy. The consolidated group’s net financial debt-to-EBITDA ratio decreased to 1.37 times from €5,498 million for the full year 2024, as the Aena Group’s consolidated accounting net financial debt stood at €4,886 million.

The first quarter of 2025 saw solid cash generation. The net cash generated from operating activities increased to €820.4 million from €723.7 million in the first quarter of 2024.