In brief
Preliminary MoMo estimates attribute 212 excess deaths in Spain between Sunday and Wednesday to the extreme heatwave. All but 12 were aged 65 or older.
Monday and Tuesday both set new June temperature records for Spain, with averages of 28.17°C and 28.08°C respectively, and a high of 43.7°C in Cantabria.
The French education minister said 3,500 schools were closed and 10,000 more adjusted hours to cope with the heat.
The Carlos III Health Institute's MoMo system cross-references daily death counts with historical patterns, temperatures and demographics to project excess deaths attributable to heat.
In 2025, 98 heat-linked deaths were recorded in the same four days. The full summer 2025 tally of 3,832 deaths was 87.6% higher than in 2024.
- 23 JunTuesday records 28.08°C avg temp; Tama reaches 43.7°C.
- 24 JunHeatwave continues; preliminary estimate of 212 excess deaths released.
- 25 JunHeatwave eases; no region under orange or red alert.
Record-breaking June temperatures
On Monday and Tuesday, Spain endured its hottest June days since at least 1950, according to the national weather agency AEMET. The average nationwide temperature on Monday reached 28.17°C, with Tuesday close behind at 28.08°C. In the northern region of Cantabria, the municipality of Tama recorded 43.7°C, the highest temperature ever measured there. Temperatures in many areas climbed well above 38°C, and the heatwave that began Sunday finally eased on Thursday, when no region remained under orange or red alert.
Excess deaths and the MoMo monitoring system
An estimated 212 deaths between Sunday 21 and Wednesday 24 June are linked to the extreme heat, based on preliminary projections from the MoMo system at the Carlos III Health Institute in Madrid. The system uses historical mortality, weather and demographic data to calculate daily excess deaths attributable to temperature increases. Diana Gómez, the scientist at the National Center for Epidemiology who manages MoMo, told the Spanish news agency EFE that the data show a "significant spike" in mortality over the four-day period.
“The earlier heat waves start, the greater their effect on mortality.”
Of the 212 deaths, 200 were among people aged 65 and over, and 148 were 85 or older. The institute cautioned that the numbers are statistical estimates of excess mortality, not confirmed causes of death, and that they will stabilize within a week. For context, the same four days in 2025 saw 98 heat-linked deaths. In the full summer period from mid-May to end of September 2025, MoMo attributed 3,832 deaths to heat, an 87.6% increase over the same period in 2024. So far this June, the system has registered 380 deaths linked to high temperatures, with 55% occurring during the just-ended heatwave.
School closures in France
The heatwave also affected France, where Education Minister Edouard Geffray reported that 3,500 schools closed and 10,000 others shifted classes to early morning hours to cope with the torrid conditions. The closures came as temperatures remained dangerously high on Thursday across much of the country.
A country accustomed to heat but under strain
Spain, one of the European countries most exposed to climate change, is used to extreme temperatures, but the frequency and intensity of heatwaves have been multiplying. The MoMo system was used in a recent study to identify 11,684 excess deaths between 2021 and 2024 that could be connected to heat. Health experts warn that extreme heat, especially when combined with humidity, strains the heart and kidneys; without cooling, the body can experience protein breakdown and organ failure, with the elderly particularly vulnerable.
- 2025
- 98
- 2026
- 212
Data from the article text