Spain Attributes Over 1,000 Excess Deaths to Heat in Record-Breaking June
Record Heatwave and Its Impact on Spain
Excess Deaths Linked to Extreme Temperatures
MADRID, July 1 (Reuters) - Spain recorded 1,029 excess deaths last month attributable to heat, official data showed on Wednesday, as a five-day heatwave with temperatures surpassing 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) made it the second-hottest month of June on record.
• Data on the Health Ministry's daily mortality monitoring system MoMo showed this June had the most deaths attributed to heat since the same month in 2015.
Temperature Records and Historical Context
Unprecedented Temperature Increases
• Average temperatures last month were 3.2 degrees higher than normal, weather agency AEMET said, making it the second-hottest June on record after June 2025.
Population Exposed to Health Risks
• At the heatwave's peak on June 23, 35.7 million people — roughly 73% of the country's population — were exposed to health risks due to the heat; 38% of them faced high risk.
Frequency and Intensity of Heatwaves
• There have been 12 heatwaves in June since 1975, with half of them occurring in the past decade.
• The 13 hottest months of June since records began in 1961 all occurred in the 21st century.
Expert Commentary
• This is evidence that heatwaves appear at the beginning of summer with a higher frequency than before, said AEMET spokesperson Ruben del Campo.
Record-Breaking Temperatures and Regional Impact
Temperature Records Broken
• Between June 1 and 30, 165 maximum temperature records — 145 of them monthly and 20 all-time — and 225 highest minimum temperature records — 180 monthly and 45 all-time — were broken at local measuring stations, AEMET said.
Regional Effects of the Heatwave
• The first heatwave of the summer was exceptional in the country's north "not only because of its intensity, but also because of its duration and persistence," the agency added.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by David Latona; Editing by Joe Bavier)
