Spain's climate shelters fall short as heatwaves intensify, says Greenpeace

Greenpeace reports that only one‑third of Spain’s provincial capitals have dedicated climate shelters, and many of the existing sites lack basic requirements such as free access, adequate capacity, or proper information. The organization highlights gaps in regions like Asturias, Galicia, Extremadura and Castilla‑La Mancha, where some cities have no shelters at all, and points out shortcomings in existing facilities in the Basque Country, Castilla y León and the Rioja.

At the same time, Spain’s meteorological agency AEMET recorded June as the second‑warmest month since 1961, with average temperatures 3.2 °C above normal and a sharp rise in the frequency of heatwaves. The combination of rising heat and insufficient shelter provision raises serious public‑health concerns, as extreme temperatures are linked to thousands of deaths each year. Greenpeace calls for rapid expansion and improvement of climate shelters to protect vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children and people with chronic illnesses.