The City Council of Madrid has decided to implement a new weather risk management protocol that will allow several parks in the city, including El Retiro, to remain open during episodes of wind and high temperatures. This measure, approved by the Governing Board last Thursday, aims to respond to citizens' demands and will also be applied in other green spaces such as El Capricho and the Rosaleda in the Oeste park.
Flexibility in extreme weather
The main modification of the protocol affects days when temperatures exceed 35 degrees Celsius. In these circumstances, the wind limits that determine alerts will be raised. Thus, the orange alert will be activated with gusts between 45 and 60 kilometres per hour, while the red alert will be established when gusts exceed 60 kilometres per hour. These limits are more flexible than those established in 2019.
When temperatures are below 35 degrees, the protocol will maintain its previous criteria. There will be no alert with winds below 40 kilometres per hour, while different levels of alert will be activated according to wind intensity: yellow between 40 and 50 kilometres per hour, orange between 50 and 65, and red above 65 kilometres per hour.
Additionally, the City Council has designed specific criteria for some recent parks such as Juan Carlos I and the Lineal del Manzanares. In these spaces, even during red alerts, they may remain open if gusts do not exceed 75 kilometres per hour. Instead of completely closing these facilities, sensitive areas such as children's zones will be cordoned off.
This decision responds to a technical analysis of the behaviour of Madrid's trees conducted over the past twelve years. According to this study, factors such as maximum temperature or humidity have less influence on the falling of trees and branches than previously considered.
Based on the analysis carried out by the Green Assessment and Review Service (Server), operational since August 2018, relevant data on incidents related to trees have been collected. Between 2020 and 2025, El Retiro was closed only 1% of the time due to red alerts, although during those periods a significant number of incidents related to falls occurred: 38% of all cases recorded in that time.
During the same period, 60 uprooted trees and 439 fallen branches were recorded, figures that have been fundamental in redefining these new operational criteria. With this revision of the protocol, Madrid seeks to balance public safety with access to its most emblematic green spaces.
Throughout its recent history, Madrid has faced significant challenges related to its green infrastructure. The constant need to adapt its policies in the face of extreme weather phenomena is becoming increasingly evident. With this new regulation, the aim is not only to improve the citizen experience in its parks but also to ensure more efficient and safe management in adverse weather conditions.
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