Portugal's July heat wave triggers excess deaths and nationwide health alerts

A prolonged heat wave across Portugal in early July 2026 has led to a surge in health‑related emergencies and excess mortality. The Directorate‑General of Health (DGS) lowered the seasonal health risk level to 1 as temperatures fell, but hospitals kept heightened alerts. The Hospital de Braga maintained a level‑3 contingency, with director Aldara Braga noting that all 35 contingency beds were occupied and stressing the need to protect vulnerable adults.

Emergency departments in major regions reported increased attendances. In Lisbon’s São José unit, daily admissions rose to 626, a 19 % increase, driven mainly by elderly patients with chronic conditions. Bruno Castro, public health doctor, attributed the rise to the heat wave but said a definitive link requires further analysis. The National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) recorded an average of 5,216 calls per day – a 6.6 % increase over the same period in 2025 – with common calls about dehydration, exhaustion and heat‑stroke.

Excess mortality estimates rose sharply. The Health Ministry’s SICO system reported 445 deaths above expected levels in the first week of July, up from 237 excess deaths earlier in the month. Director‑General Rita Sá Machado said the figure was still below the Institute of Health’s forecast of 60 deaths for the first wave and 63 for the second, but warned that the full impact would be clearer after about 15 days.

The Portuguese navy also detected two marine heat waves off Faro, with sea‑surface temperatures peaking at 26.1 °C, well above the normal 23 °C threshold, raising concerns for fisheries and coastal ecosystems.