Spain reports over 1,600 heat‑related deaths amid record‑breaking European summer

Since the start of the 2026 summer, Spain’s daily mortality monitoring system has recorded at least 1,646 deaths linked to extreme heat, including 463 in the second heat wave that ended this week. The highest tolls have occurred in Catalonia, Andalucía and Madrid, with a peak of more than 260 fatalities in just 48 hours at the beginning of July. Most deaths involve older people whose existing cardiovascular or respiratory conditions were aggravated by temperatures that frequently exceeded 40 °C.

The heat wave is part of a broader European episode that has seen unusually high temperatures across the continent, with Germany, France and Belgium also reporting significant rises in mortality. A forthcoming Atlantic low pressure system (a DANA) is expected to bring cooler air to parts of Spain but may also introduce Saharan dust and isolated thunderstorms, especially in Galicia and the Cantabrian region, while temperatures above 35 °C will persist in many areas.

In Mexico, authorities differentiate between a prolonged “heat wave” – defined by three consecutive days above daily averages – and the “canícula,” a shorter, very hot and dry period that often exceeds 37 °C and is accompanied by reduced rainfall. Experts from the National Center for Disaster Prevention and the Mexican Institute of Water Technology outline these distinctions and list the states most affected by the canícula.