According to the official, direct exposure to the sun during the hours of highest radiation can bring about from slight skin burns to serious damage to vulnerable people.

Garcia underscored that the known heat stroke can affect any individual, but especially those at risk, such as the elderly, patients with chronic diseases or young children.

Problems such as cramps, generalized swelling, loss of consciousness and decompensation in diabetics and hypertensive patients can be associated with dehydration, he assured.

A wide area from Valparaiso and the Metropolitan Region of Santiago to Biobio in the south remains under alert due to the forecast of maximum temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius, which will continue until the weekend.

Garcia pointed out that if it is essential to be in the sun, a cap or hat should be worn, better if it is a wide-brimmed one, covering as much of the body surface as possible, wearing dark glasses and applying sunscreen.

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