Spain has recorded more than 5 000 heat-related deaths between June and August, marking the country’s deadliest summer on record.

The Carlos III Health Institute reported 5 111 fatalities during the three-month period, surpassing the previous record of 4 652 deaths recorded in 2022. The figure represents a significant increase from the 3 651 deaths registered last year and 1 977 in 2024.

The data comes as western Europe experienced its hottest June-July period on record, with exceptional heatwaves linked to thousands of excess deaths across the continent.

The figures were calculated using Spain’s Mortality Monitoring System (MoMo), which tracks daily deaths nationwide and compares them to historical trends. The system incorporates weather data from the national weather agency AEMET to determine likely causes of mortality spikes.

While MoMo cannot confirm a direct link between individual deaths and high temperatures, it provides the most reliable estimate of fatalities where heat was a contributing factor. Most heat-related deaths result from heart attacks and strokes caused by the body’s struggle to maintain stable temperatures.

AEMET confirmed that July was mainland Spain’s joint-hottest month since records began in 1961. Temperature records fell across drought-affected areas of Europe, creating conditions that fuelled severe wildfires. Spain experienced one of its worst fire disasters in July, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate from areas just dozens of kilometres from Madrid.

The country faces more extreme heat this week, with forecasts predicting temperatures above 40°C in southern and western regions.

Climate scientists have repeatedly warned that burning fossil fuels is making heat spells across Europe longer, more intense and more frequent.

ALSO READ: European heatwave claims over 200 lives in Spain, three children die in France