Spain: More than 1,100 deaths attributed to the heat wave that has just ended

More than 1,100 deaths can be attributed to the heatwave that has just ended in Spain and lasted 16 days, according to estimates made through a tool managed by the Carlos III Public Health Research Institute.

The exact number of deaths attributable to the heatwave , which lasted from August 3 to 18, is 1,149, according to the system called "MoMo" (Monitoring Mortality), which collects the number of deaths in Spain on a daily basis and calculates the difference in mortality compared to the expected mortality rate based on recorded historical series. It then incorporates external factors that may explain this difference. These factors include temperatures reported by the National Meteorological Agency (Aemet). The system cannot establish absolute causality between recorded deaths and weather conditions, but the statistics are the best estimate of the number of deaths for which the heatwave may have been the decisive factor.

Already in July, some 1,060 deaths had been attributed by "MoMo" to the heatwave, an increase of more than 50% compared to July 2024.

The heatwave that has just ended in Spain, during which temperatures of up to 45°C were recorded in the south of the country, has also considerably complicated the work of firefighters and soldiers who are fighting very large fires , particularly in the west of the country.

The drop in temperatures, as well as the rains expected in some regions, give hope for an improvement in the situation on this front, even if the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, warned on Tuesday that there were still "difficult times" ahead.