Madrid (EFE).- Spain reported 1,180 heat-related deaths between May 16 and July 13, 2025, a 1,035% increase compared to the 114 deaths recorded during the same period in 2024, according to Spain’s Carlos III Health Institute.
The data was shared during a meeting of the Observatory for Health and Climate Change (OSCC), convened to assess the health impacts of recent extreme heat.
Officials from the Ministry of Health, the Meteorological Agency (AEMET), and the Carlos III Institute analyzed temperature and mortality data from the past two months.
Authorities noted a worrying upward trend. In the first week of July, heat-related deaths rose 47% compared to the total for June.
Elderly and northern Spain most vulnerable
According to the Ministry of Health, 95% of the victims were aged 65 or older, with 59% of them being women.
This is attributed to the higher proportion of elderly women in Spain’s population and their greater physiological vulnerability to extreme heat.
The autonomous communities most affected by heat-related deaths were all in northern Spain, Galicia, La Rioja, Asturias, and Cantabria, regions historically accustomed to milder summers.
The government warned these areas now face heightened climate vulnerability, likely due to limited infrastructure and social preparedness for heatwaves.
Since the activation of Spain’s national heat prevention plan, ten deaths have been directly attributed to heat stroke.
Five of the deceased were over 65, four were between 52 and 62, and one case remains unclassified.
June breaks record, more heat expected in July
The Ministry labeled the ongoing situation an “exceptional thermal episode”, citing an unprecedented rise in average temperatures and a sharp spike in deaths linked to heatwaves.
Aemet’s data shows that June 2025 had a national average temperature of 23.6°C, breaking the previous record set in June 2017 by 0.8°C (33.4°F), and exceeding the 1991–2020 average by 3.5°C (38.3°F).
Forecasts suggest July will remain unusually hot, with a more than 70% chance of temperatures staying above historical averages across the country.
In total, Spain issued 76 red alerts for extreme heat during the last two months, a stark contrast to zero alerts issued during the same period last year, underscoring a rapid and dangerous shift in climate conditions. EFE
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