This year’s European summer has been marked by record-breaking temperatures. Spain is one of the countries facing an alarming increase in heat-related deaths, drawing the attention of health authorities and climate experts. This phenomenon isn’t limited to traditionally warmer regions of the country, but has also affected areas that were historically cooler. This case highlights a worrying shift in weather and climate patterns around the world.
Spain reports a significant increase in deaths due to heat
High temperatures caused 1,180 deaths in Spain in the past two months, a sharp increase from the same period last year, the Environment Ministry said on Monday. The vast majority of people who died were over 65 and more than half were women, the data it cited showed.
The most affected regions were Galicia, La Rioja, Asturias and Cantabria – all located in the northern half of the country, where traditionally cooler summer temperatures have seen a significant rise in recent years. Like other countries in Western Europe, Spain has been hit by extreme heat in recent weeks, with temperatures often topping 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).
The 1,180 people who died of heat-related causes between May 16 and July 13 compared with 114 in the same period in 2024, the ministry said in a statement citing data from the Carlos III Health Institute. The number of deaths increased significantly in the first week in July.
Record number of red alerts and a jump in heat-related deaths
The data shows an event “of exceptional intensity, characterized by an unprecedented increase in average temperatures and a significant increase in mortality attributable to heatwaves”, the ministry said. In the period the data covers, there were 76 red alerts for extreme heat, compared with none a year earlier.
Last summer, 2,191 deaths were attributed to heat-related causes in Spain, according to data from the Carlos III Health Institute. The data from Spain follows a rapid scientific analysis published on July 9 that said around 2,300 people died of heat-related causes across 12 European cities during a severe heatwave in the 10 days to July 2.
Some experts have pointed out that the advancement of climate change worldwide is making extreme heat episodes even longer and more frequent. This reduces the environmental recovery time between consecutive heat waves. This overlapping of climate events has worsened the impact on public health, especially for the elderly and people with chronic conditions, who have more difficulty adapting to high temperatures.
Scientific studies highlight that the crisis will escalate across Europe
It was not immediately clear whether the study conducted by scientists at Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine was using the same methodology as the Spanish data.
The current situation in Spain, according to scientific analyses, is part of a broader trend across the European continent, where cities across different latitudes have recorded high mortality rates due to intense heat in very short periods. This finding has led to questions about the capacity of health systems and urban infrastructure to respond to climate crises, which are becoming increasingly frequent.
Authorities warn of intensifying climate risks
Faced with this alarming scenario, Spain’s Ministry of the Environment announced that it is evaluating measures to minimize the impacts of future heat waves in the country, including awareness campaigns, expansion of cooling zones, and increased assistance to vulnerable populations.
Experts warn that, to improve this situation, Spain’s emergency responses must be accompanied by structural climate adaptation policies. Extreme heat is consolidating itself as a major, ongoing threat to public health and requires action among governments, communities, and citizens. If this trend continues, the country could face even more lethal summers in the coming years, reinforcing the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
GCN.com/Reuters