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There’s still a whole lot of summer left to get through and extreme heat has already claimed the lives of 1,180 people across Spain between May 16 and July 13 this year. That is ten times more than the number of heat-related deaths recorded during the same period in 2024, when 114 fatalities were reported.

 

The alarming figures come from Spain’s Ministry of Health, which confirms a sharp and dangerous rise in both temperatures and heat-related mortality.

 

In just the first week of July alone, the number of deaths linked to heat increased by 47% compared to the month of June.

 

The Ministry’s findings are based on data from Aemet and the Carlos III Health Institute, and they describe this year’s heat as “a thermal episode of exceptional intensity.” June was particularly extreme, with an average temperature of 23.6ºC. That’s 0.8 degrees higher than the previous record set in 2017 and a full 3.5 degrees above the average for the period between 1991 and 2020.

 

If current patterns continue, July is on track to become another record-breaking month.

 

One of the clearest indicators of the severity of this summer’s heat is the number of official weather alerts issued. In the last two months, authorities have activated 76 red-level warnings for extreme heat in different parts of the country. Last year, not a single red alert was issued during this time frame.

 

The majority of heat-related deaths this year have affected older people. Of the 1,180 deaths reported, 95% were individuals over the age of 65. Almost 60% were women, which the Ministry attributes to the fact that women make up a larger share of the senior population.

 

Some regions have been hit harder than others. Galicia, La Rioja, Asturias and Cantabria have seen the most significant increase in deaths related to high temperatures. These areas typically experience milder summers and may not be as prepared for extreme heat.

 

According to the Ministry, this points to “climate vulnerability” and “highlights a lack of structural and social adaptation” to unusually hot weather.

 

Since Spain’s national heat response plan was activated earlier this year, the country’s autonomous communities have also reported ten individual deaths from confirmed heat stroke. Five of these were over the age of 65, four were aged between 52 and 62 and no information was available for the final case.

 

 

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