More than 1,000 people have died from heat-related causes in Spain following the intense heatwave that swept across Europe, with authorities describing the first half of 2026 as the hottest ever recorded in the country.
According to Spain’s Carlos III Health Institute, 1,028 people lost their lives due to extreme heat during the recent heatwave, more than double the 407 heat-related deaths recorded in June 2025.
Spain’s national weather agency, Aemet, said the first six months of 2026 were the warmest since temperature records began, with average temperatures standing 1.6 degrees Celsius above normal.
Aemet also noted that June 2026 ranked as the country’s second-hottest June on record, with temperatures averaging 3.2 degrees Celsius above seasonal norms.
“The first half of 2026 has been the hottest ever recorded in Spain, with average temperatures 1.6 degrees Celsius above normal,” the weather agency said.
The agency added that “the seven warmest first halves of the year have all occurred within the past decade,” underscoring the growing trend of rising temperatures.
The heatwave extended beyond Spain, shattering temperature records across several European countries, including Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. The United Kingdom and Switzerland also experienced their hottest June on record, while France recorded unprecedented overnight temperatures.
Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group said the late June heatwave was the most severe ever observed in Europe for that period of the year.
“The June heatwave would have been virtually impossible without the influence of climate change,” the scientists said, linking the extreme weather event to global warming.
The prolonged spell of extreme temperatures has renewed concerns over the increasing health risks posed by climate change and the growing frequency of deadly heatwaves across Europe.
