Spain has registered 5,232 deaths attributed to high temperatures so far in 2026, the highest figure since the country's daily mortality monitoring system (MoMo) began collecting data in 2015. The provisional tally, released on Monday, already surpasses the previous worst years of 2022 (4,789 deaths) and 2023 (3,035 deaths).
The MoMo system, operated by the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), does not rely on individual death certificates citing heat as the cause. Instead, it produces statistical estimates based on mortality data and the relationship between temperature and death rates. The figures cover the period since 15 May, when Spain's national heat-health plan is activated each year.
August nears series record
July ended with 2,025 heat-related deaths, nearly double the 1,060 recorded in the same month of 2025. It was the second deadliest July on record, behind only 2022, when 2,217 deaths were estimated.
August has so far seen 2,147 deaths attributable to high temperatures, though this figure is still provisional and will be confirmed over the coming week. The number is close to the 2,172 deaths recorded in August 2025, which remains the deadliest August in the series.
The impact is heavily concentrated among older people. Of the 5,232 deaths estimated this year, 5,048 were among those over 65. People aged over 85 account for 62% of the total, with 3,256 deaths. Women represent 60% of the fatalities.
The figures come amid an exceptionally hot summer. Spain's meteorological agency AEMET notes that July 2026 was the warmest on record, tied with 2022, while June was the second warmest since records began.
Despite the record since 2015, the numbers remain far below the estimates for the historic 2003 heatwave, when around 13,000 deaths in Spain were attributed to high temperatures. That crisis prompted the launch of the Health Ministry's prevention plan.
The heat is expected to persist into early September, with AEMET forecasting temperatures above usual levels for this time of year in parts of Spain.
As Spain grapples with the health impacts of extreme heat, other European countries are facing similar challenges. Greece, for instance, is battling a West Nile outbreak that has already claimed 19 lives. Meanwhile, the broader Mediterranean region is experiencing heightened climate-related pressures, from disruptions to Red Sea shipping to seismic risks in southern Spain.
Authorities are urging vulnerable groups, particularly the elderly, to take precautions during heatwaves, and the government is considering additional measures to protect public health as climate change makes such extreme temperatures more frequent.
