MADRID, Spain: Spain has reported a dramatic increase in heat-related deaths over the past two months, with 1,180 fatalities attributed to high temperatures—more than ten times the number recorded during the same period last year, according to data released by the Environment Ministry.

The majority of those who died were over the age of 65, with women accounting for more than half of the fatalities, the data showed. The worst-hit regions were Galicia, La Rioja, Asturias, and Cantabria, in Spain's traditionally cooler northern areas, which have experienced an unusual spike in summer temperatures.

From May 16 to July 13, Spain saw 76 red alerts for extreme heat, compared to zero in the same period last year. Temperatures have frequently exceeded 40 degrees Centigrade (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in many parts of the country.

The Environment Ministry, citing figures from the Carlos III Health Institute, called the situation "an event of exceptional intensity," marked by unprecedented rises in average temperatures and a significant increase in heat-related mortality.

In the first week of July alone, deaths spiked sharply. For comparison, only 114 people died from heat-related causes during the same two-month period in 2024. Last summer, the full season saw 2,191 such deaths across the country.

The alarming figures in Spain follow a recent scientific report estimating 2,300 heat-related deaths across 12 European cities during a 10-day heatwave earlier this month. It remains unclear whether the methodologies used in that study match those applied in the Spanish data.