Spain heat-related deaths hit 4,458, institute says

Spain registered an estimated 4,458 heat-related deaths from June 1 to August 19, the highest figure for that period since 2022, according to figures from the public Carlos III Health Institute consulted by AFP.

The same period recorded 3,073 heat-related deaths last year and 1,890 in 2024. In 2022, the figure was 4,520.

The estimates came from Spain's Mortality Monitoring System, known as MoMo, which tracks daily deaths nationwide and compares them with historical trends. It also uses external factors, including weather data from the national meteorological agency AEMET, to assess likely causes of mortality spikes.

MoMo cannot confirm a direct causal link between individual deaths and high temperatures, but it provides an estimate of fatalities in which heat was likely a decisive factor.

Spain has had several periods of extreme summer heat this year. AEMET said July was mainland Spain's joint-hottest month since records began in 1961 and also its driest July on record.

The heat contributed to conditions for wildfires. Spain experienced severe wildfires in July that forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate.