Overview

• Provisional data show the Aug 3–18 episode averaged 4.6°C higher than previous such phenomena, surpassing the July 2022 benchmark.
• AEMET reports that Aug 8–17 constituted the hottest 10 consecutive days in Spain since at least 1950.
• The Carlos III Health Institute estimates the heatwave was linked to more than 1,100 deaths across the country.
• The extreme heat intensified tinderbox conditions that are fueling ongoing wildfires in northern and western Spain.
• Since 1975 AEMET has logged 77 heatwaves, including six at least 4°C above average—five since 2019—and it urges accelerated adaptation and climate mitigation.