The Madrid Book Fair will close today at 6 PM due to heat alerts.

The Madrid Book Fair has announced this Monday that it will remain open this afternoon for only one hour, from 5 to 6 PM, due to a series of heat alerts, orange and red.

The orange alert lasts from 6 to 9 PM. At 7 PM, security personnel will proceed to evacuate El Retiro Park, two hours before the red alert, which starts at 9 PM and lasts until midnight.

This is the third time during the Fair that alerts have caused closures: the first occurred on the opening afternoon, May 30, after Queen Letizia visited the Paseo de Carros. That afternoon the park was eventually opened, but the booths remained closed. On the second day, the opening had to be delayed until 6 PM.

Weather conditions usually influence the Book Fair and are almost the main news, beyond the literary aspects. Last year was marked by heavy rains, as it rained on half of the days of the Fair; this year, the heat alerts are interfering.

The closures cause significant damage to booksellers and publishers, who invest in the booths and earn a good percentage of their annual income during these days, between 10% and 20%, according to the consulting firm GFK. Last year’s total revenue was 13.4 million euros.

After a red alert, according to director Eva Orúe’s information to participants, it is necessary to inspect the trees, as “there is a possibility that we may not be able to open tomorrow at 10:30.”