Spain recorded a record 61 days under heatwave conditions across the mainland and Balearic Islands in 2026, far exceeding the previous high of 41 days set in 2022, the national weather agency AEMET said on Wednesday.
The country also experienced its hottest summer since records began in 1961, with an average temperature of 24.5°C, 0.3°C above the previous record set in 2025 and 2.4°C higher than the 1991 to 2020 average.
Four heatwaves affected mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands, including an intense six day episode in September. The longest and most severe period occurred in July, when 37 provinces were affected and temperatures averaged 3.9°C above normal.
Heatwaves lasting 23 days in July and 24 days in August were among the longest recorded since at least 1975. The Canary Islands experienced a separate five day heatwave in August.
Spain’s Health Ministry estimates that 5,234 people died from heat related causes between May 15 and August 31, the highest summer toll since its monitoring system began in 2015.
AEMET said Spain’s 10 hottest summers have all occurred in the 21st century, with seven of the eight hottest recorded since 2015. Scientists say human caused climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.
Leave a comment