Effetti delle ondate di calore dell'estate 2017 sulla popolazione dell'area urbana di Cosenza

One of the consequences of the climate changes is an increase in the temperature in the lowest layers of the atmosphere, causing frequent heat waves that put a strain on the resilience of the population, especially in the densely urbanized valley areas of the Mediterranean basin. This work aims to analyze the access to the hospital emergency room of Cosenza of the inhabitants of the Crati River valley (Calabria), during the heat waves that accompanied the African anticyclone occurred in the summer of 2017 in Calabria. The analysis was performed by means of the humidity index Humidex H (°C). Results evidenced a correspondence between high values of this index and high accesses to the emergency room, especially by the more sensitive population groups, children and the elderly.