Spain registers 327 heat-related deaths since Sunday in record-breaking heatwave
Published on 26/06/2026 - 13:07 GMT+2 The heatwave hitting Spain has caused 327 deaths since last Sunday, 21 June, according to the Spanish Health Institute Carlos III....
Published on 26/06/2026 - 13:07 GMT+2
The heatwave hitting Spain has caused 327 deaths since last Sunday, 21 June, according to the Spanish Health Institute Carlos III.
The country has experienced record-breaking June temperatures, with several national and local records broken during the heatwave.
According to the Spanish national meteorological agency (AEMET), the heatwave came to an end on Thursday.
Based on Spain's national temperature records dating back to 1950, 23 June was the hottest June day on record, with 22 June ranking second.
The worst anomalies were recorded in northern Spain, where Bilbao Airport set new records for both daytime highs and overnight minimum temperatures.
Since Spain's annual heat surveillance season began in mid-May, the Carlos III Institute has registered 611 deaths attributed to high temperatures.
Another two weeks of heatwave
The heatwave is expected to affect large parts of Western, Central and Southern Europe within the next two weeks, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
According to current forecasts, the focus of the heat is likely to shift further towards the Balkans, the UN agency said on Thursday.
“Prolonged exposure over several days, particularly when temperatures remain high at night, means the body enters each new day already stressed,” said Lachlan McIver, health adviser at the WHO-WMO Climate and Health Joint Office.
Older adults, young children, pregnant women, outdoor workers and people living with chronic illness are more vulnerable to high temperatures, but “heat stress can affect anyone when temperatures are extreme enough for long enough,” McIver warned.
Extreme temperatures hitting Europe
Countries are facing extreme heatwave temperatures across Western Europe.
France recorded its hottest day ever on Tuesday, 24 June, with the average temperature exceeding 30°C over 24 hours for the first time. The country has also recorded 40 deaths from drowning in the past week as people seek relief in rivers and other bodies of water.
According to the WMO, temperatures rose up to 43.8 °C in the town of Palluau in western France.
Belgium issued a heat alert from Wednesday as extreme temperatures are expected to intensify in the days ahead, according to the country's Royal Meteorological Institute.
Germany's national weather service issued widespread red alerts, including for Berlin, Bonn, Frankfurt and Cologne. In Switzerland, Geneva, Basel and Zürich were also under red alert.
