Spain recorded between 1,028 and 1,029 heat-related excess deaths in June 2026, making it the country’s second deadliest June for heat deaths after the record month in 2025 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. This figure is more than double the roughly 407 deaths recorded in June 2025 [1, 3, 6].

June 2026 was the second-hottest June ever in Spain, with average temperatures 3.2°C above normal, trailing only the record heat of June 2025 [1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7]. The first half of 2026 was also the hottest January to June period on record in the country, with temperatures 1.6°C above average [1, 3, 6].

At the heatwave’s peak on June 23, approximately 73-75% of Spain’s population—around 35.7 million people—faced health risks from the extreme heat, with 38% classified as high risk [2, 4]. Aemet spokesperson Rubén del Campo said, "This is evidence that heatwaves appear at the beginning of summer with a higher frequency than before" [2].

The June 2026 heatwave was one of the most severe ever recorded in Europe, breaking temperature records in multiple countries including Germany, Poland, the UK, France, and others [1, 3, 5, 6, 8]. About two-thirds of Europe’s population, roughly 410 million people, experienced temperatures above 35°C during mid to late June [9, 10, 8]. France endured a similarly deadly heatwave from June 24 to 28, resulting in about 1,000 excess heat-related deaths [11]. Nicolas Revel, head of hospitals in the Paris area, noted, "I did not expect the excess death toll to match the 15,000 recorded in 2003... but higher than the 5,700 recorded last year" [11].

Experts attribute the increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves in Spain to climate change, as all 13 of the country’s hottest Junes since 1961 have occurred in the 21st century. Since 1975, Spain has recorded 12 June heatwaves, half of which took place after 2015 [2, 4, 7]. The World Weather Attribution group stated the late June European heatwave was "virtually impossible" without climate change [1].

Spanish authorities including the Carlos III Health Institute and Aemet officially reported these figures on July 1, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7]. Aemet spokesperson Rubén del Campo warned, "Temperatures will begin to rise over the weekend and we can’t rule out another heatwave" [11].