Spain Faces Unprecedented Surge in Heat-Related Deaths Amidst Record-Breaking Temperatures

Spain has witnessed a significant surge in heat-related deaths over the past two months. The Environment Ministry's data indicates that 1,180 fatalities have been linked to high temperatures, a tenfold increase compared to the same period last year.

The data reveals that the majority of those who died were individuals over the age of 65. Women accounted for more than half of the recorded deaths. The northern regions of Spain, including Galicia, La Rioja, Asturias, and Cantabria, which are typically cooler, were the most severely affected, experiencing an unusual rise in summer temperatures.

Between May 16 and July 13, Spain issued 76 red alerts for extreme heat, a stark contrast to the absence of such alerts during the same period last year. Temperatures have frequently surpassed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) across many parts of the country.

The Environment Ministry, referencing figures from the Carlos III Health Institute, described the situation as "an event of exceptional intensity." This was characterized by unprecedented increases in average temperatures and a substantial rise in heat-related mortality.

The first week of July saw a particularly sharp increase in deaths. In contrast, only 114 people died from heat-related causes during the same two-month period in 2024. The entire summer season of the previous year saw a total of 2,191 such deaths across the country.

These concerning figures in Spain come after a recent scientific report that estimated 2,300 heat-related deaths across 12 European cities during a 10-day heatwave earlier this month. The compatibility of the methodologies used in that study with those applied in the Spanish data remains uncertain.