Spain's Deadly Heatwave
Spain's heatwave causes 43 deaths nationwide, with Catalonia reporting four
Catalonia recorded four deaths linked to extreme heat between Sunday and Monday, according to El Periódico, citing data from the MoMo mortality monitoring system of the Carlos III Health Institute. Across Spain as a whole, 43 people died from heat-related causes in that same 48-hour window.
The deaths come as temperatures topped 45°C in southern Spain and exceeded 41°C in parts of Catalonia. The emergency services in Catalonia treated 151 people for heat-related conditions since the wave began, El Periódico de Aragón reported.
A Deadly Weekend as Temperatures Smashed Records
The heatwave hit hardest on Sunday, June 21, and Monday, June 22. Andújar, in the province of Jaén, reached 45.1°C — a record for June. In Catalonia, the town of Vinebre recorded its highest temperature ever. The Spanish meteorological agency AEMET declared a special heatwave warning on Sunday morning.
Catalonia's civil protection agency activated the PROCICAT emergency plan at the alert level. The hardest-hit areas were Lleida and the Ponent region in the west of the territory. Madrid closed a World Cup fan zone on Sunday afternoon to protect visitors from heatstroke.
May Already Set a Deadly Record Before This Wave
This is not the first deadly heat episode of 2026. Spain recorded 101 heat-related deaths in May alone — the highest May toll since monitoring began in 2015. Older women in northern regions like Asturias and Galicia were the hardest hit during that earlier wave.
Between 2015 and 2025, Spain's MoMo system estimates 27,564 total heat-related deaths. The worst year was 2022, with 4,789 fatalities. In all of 2025, 3,832 people died from heat. Experts warn that 2026 is on pace to be among the deadliest years on record.
Climate Change Added Up to 4°C to This Event
This heatwave is not a random weather event. Researchers from Climameter, a French scientific group linked to CNRS, estimate that climate change added up to 4°C to this specific episode. Without human-caused warming, temperatures would have stayed well below current levels.
Spain's Health Ministry also updated its warning system in 2026. It now uses 182 local
Heat Kills Unequally — the Poor and Elderly at Greatest Risk
Health officials stress that heat hits some people far harder than others. Héctor Tejero, the Ministry of Health's head of climate and health, said mortality risk rises by 9.1% to 10.7% for every degree above the local danger threshold. Workplace accidents jump by 17% during extreme heat episodes.
The primary victims are women over 85 living in poorly insulated homes. Health Minister Mónica García described heat as
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