MADRID — Spanish authorities warned on Thursday that the country's ongoing heat wave could result in a high death toll after preliminary health monitoring data indicated a sharp increase in heat-related fatalities during several days of exceptionally high temperatures across much of the country.
Spain's Health Ministry and the national mortality monitoring system, known as MoMo, reported that an estimated 212 heat-related deaths were recorded between June 21 and June 24, according to data released on Thursday. Officials cautioned that the figures are preliminary and subject to revision as additional information becomes available.
The warning came as Spain endured its first official heat wave of 2026, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in several regions. The country's meteorological agency, AEMET, had placed large areas under heat alerts during the week and warned of significant health risks, particularly for older people and those with underlying medical conditions.
According to MoMo data, fatalities linked to high temperatures increased each day during the heat wave. The monitoring system recorded an estimated 13 deaths on the first day of the event, followed by higher daily totals as temperatures intensified. Health officials emphasized that the figures represent statistical estimates based on mortality and temperature data rather than confirmed individual causes of death.
“These are preliminary figures and we will have to wait a week for them to become more stable,” Diana Gómez of Spain's National Centre for Epidemiology told EFE, according to Spanish media reports. She said the data nonetheless showed “a significant spike” in excess mortality during the hottest days of the episode.
Regional authorities reported heat-related impacts across several parts of the country. In Catalonia, officials said dozens of deaths were attributable to high temperatures between Sunday and Wednesday, while emergency medical services responded to hundreds of heat-related incidents.
The heat wave formed part of a broader period of extreme temperatures affecting Western Europe. Authorities in France, Italy and other countries also issued health warnings, adjusted school schedules and implemented emergency measures as temperatures reached record or near-record levels. Reuters reported that the wider European heat wave had been linked to dozens of deaths across the region.
Spain had already recorded an unusually high number of heat-related deaths earlier in the year. The Health Ministry said an estimated 101 deaths linked to high temperatures occurred in May, the highest figure for that month since records began in 2015.
By Thursday, AEMET said the most intense phase of the heat wave was beginning to ease in some regions, although temperatures remained well above seasonal norms in parts of the country. Health authorities continued urging residents to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, stay hydrated and monitor vulnerable individuals as elevated temperatures persisted.
