At least 1,028 people died during Spain's recent heatwave, as the country endured its hottest January-to-June period on record, officials said Wednesday.

Spain's Carlos III Health Institute reported that at least 1,028 heat-related deaths occurred during the heatwave last month. This is more than double the 407 recorded in June 2025 and the highest June death toll since 2015.

At the peak of the heatwave on June 23, approximately 35.7 million people — about 73% of Spain's population — were exposed to health risks.

Spain's national weather agency Aemet said last month was the country's second-hottest June on record, with temperatures averaging 3.2 degrees Celsius above normal. The first half of 2026 became the warmest for Spain since records began, with a temperature 1.6 degrees Celsius above normal.

The recent heatwave, which scorched much of Europe, was the continent's most severe on record. Temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) broke records in France, Germany and other European countries.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has blamed the heatwave for more than 1,300 additional deaths across Europe, with that number likely to rise.

Meteorologists said the heatwave was driven by a mass of hot air moving north from the Sahara, fueled by a strong high-pressure system known as the "African anticyclone." This created a "heat dome" trapping hot air over Western and Central Europe.

Experts say human-induced climate change has intensified temperatures, making this year's record heatwave up to 4 degrees Celsius hotter.

Source: www.dw.com