The number of deaths in the last 60 days caused by the heatwave in Spain has multiplied compared to the same period in 2024. Specifically, 1,180 people lost their lives due to high temperatures according to the Ministry of Environment.
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It should be noted that most heatwave victims were over 65 years old with more than 50% of the victims being women, according to ministry data. The most affected regions were Galicia, La Rioja, Asturias and Cantabria – all in the northern part of the country where temperatures during summer months were not previously high, but this has changed in recent years.
Spain: Sharp increase in deaths due to extreme heat
Like other Western European countries, Spain faced extreme heat in recent weeks, as temperatures often exceeded 40 degrees Celsius.
It is emphasized that 1,180 people died from heat-related causes from May 16 to July 13. Comparatively, during the same period in 2024, deaths from heatwaves amounted to only 70. The number of deaths increased dramatically during the first week of July, based on data from the Carlos III Health Institute.
It is noted that during these two months, 76 emergency warnings for extreme heat were issued in various regions of the country, while last year none were issued, with last summer recording a total of 2,191 deaths attributed to causes related to high temperatures.
Meanwhile, on July 9, a scientific analysis reported that approximately 2,300 people died from heat in 12 European cities during the ten-day heatwave that lasted until July 2. However, it is unclear whether the study by scientists from Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine uses the same methodology as the Spanish institute.
