Spain records more than 1,000 excess deaths due to June heatwave

Cover image: A man rinses his hat with water to cool off during a hot day amid a heatwave in Madrid, Spain on June 23, 2026. © Mohammed Salem, Reuters

Spain has attributed 1,028 excess deaths to a blistering heatwave that hit Europe last week – a figure more than double the number of heat-related deaths recorded the previous year.

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 said on Wednesday.