According to AFP reports on September 1st local time, data from a public health agency published that day showed that Spain recorded over 5,000 deaths related to high temperatures between June and August this year, setting a record high since statistics began in 2015.
This summer, a series of extreme heatwaves were attributed to thousands of excess deaths across Europe. European climate monitoring agencies reported that Western Europe experienced the hottest June and July on record.
According to records from the Carlos III Health Institute in Spain, 5,111 deaths in Spain were related to high temperatures between June and August this year, surpassing the previous record of 4,652 deaths during the same period in 2022. This figure is also higher than the 3,651 deaths recorded during the same period last year, and 1,977 deaths during the same period in 2024.
Reports indicate that most of the excess deaths related to high temperatures are caused by heart attacks and strokes. These conditions often result from the immense pressure exerted on the body to maintain stable body temperature.
For a long time, scientists have warned that the climate crisis caused by human burning of fossil fuels is leading to extreme heatwaves in Europe that are becoming more prolonged, intense, and frequent.
This week, extreme high temperatures will continue to hit Spain. Forecast shows that temperatures in the southern and western regions of the country will exceed 40 degrees Celsius.
