Spain reports more than 1,000 heat-related deaths after June heatwave

Spain has reported more than 1,000 deaths linked to the recent June heatwave, according to official figures released on Wednesday. The Carlos III Health Institute said at least 1,028 people died from heat-related causes during the period. The figures come as the country recorded its hottest first six months on record.

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The national weather agency said the first half of 2026 was 1.6C above normal on average. It also said June 2026 was the second-hottest June in the historical series, with temperatures 3.2C above the norm. Officials said the number of heat-related deaths in June was more than double the 407 recorded in June 2025.

The data underline the scale of the public health impact from the heatwave, which affected much of Europe in late June. The weather agency said the seven warmest first semesters in Spain have all occurred in the past 10 years. That pattern points to a sustained rise in extreme temperatures, with implications for health services, older people and other vulnerable groups during prolonged hot spells.

The wider European heatwave was described by scientists as the most severe ever recorded on the continent. A separate scientific assessment said such an event would have been virtually impossible in June without climate change. The same period saw temperature records broken in several countries, including Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, while the United Kingdom and Switzerland recorded their hottest June on record.

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In Spain, the latest figures add to a growing body of evidence linking extreme heat to excess mortality. The Carlos III Health Institute and the national weather agency have both pointed to the exceptional nature of the recent temperatures. Their assessments suggest the heatwave was not only a weather event but also a significant public health emergency.

It remains unclear how many of the deaths were directly caused by heat exposure versus being associated with pre-existing medical conditions worsened by high temperatures. Officials have not yet provided a more detailed breakdown of the fatalities. The key question now is how health authorities and local governments will respond if similar conditions return later in the summer.

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