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

More than 1,000 deaths in Spain were attributed to the recent heatwave that roasted Europe, as the country posted the hottest first six months ever recorded, officials have said.

At least 1,028 people died of heat-related issues during the heatwave, the public Carlos III Health Institute said on Wednesday.

The figure was more than double the 407 deaths that were attributed to heat in June 2025, Spain’s hottest June since records started being kept, according to the national weather agency Aemet.

The first six months of 2026 were the hottest in Spain since the start of records, with temperatures 1.6°C above normal levels on average, Aemet said in a post on X on Wednesday.

“The seven warmest first semesters… have occurred over the past 10 years”, the Aemet agency said in a post on X.