Spain’s state meteorological agency, AEMET, has said the 16-day heatwave that struck this month was the most intense on record. Provisional data for the period from 3 to 18 August showed a maximum temperature anomaly of 4.6C above the threshold for a heatwave, surpassing the previous record set in 2022 by 0.1C.
The extreme heat worsened dry conditions that have fuelled wildfires continuing to burn in parts of northern and western Spain. An estimate released by the Carlos III Health Institute linked more than 1,100 deaths in the country to the heatwave.
AEMET, which has registered 77 heatwaves in Spain since 1975, said six have reached 4C or more above the threshold, with five of those occurring since 2019. The agency also noted that the 10-day period from 8 to 17 August was the hottest consecutive stretch recorded in Spain since at least 1950.
Scientists say the climate crisis is driving longer, more intense and more frequent heatwaves around the world. AEMET described it as a “scientific fact” that current summers are hotter than those in previous decades, adding that while not every summer will be hotter than the last, the trend towards far more extreme summers is clear.
The agency emphasised the importance of adapting to and mitigating climate change, saying this was key to addressing the growing risks posed by extreme heat.
