Spain has registered its first heat-related death of the summer after a 58-year-old man collapsed while working outdoors in Cordoba, as scorching temperatures grip the country.
The fatality was confirmed by Health Minister Monica Garcia in a post on X, where she extended her condolences.
The man had been installing an illuminated sign when he succumbed to heat stroke, according to the Andalusian Regional Ministry of Health.
The victim, who reportedly had pre-existing medical conditions, was admitted to the ICU at Cordoba’s Reina Sofia University Hospital on Saturday with symptoms consistent with heat stroke. He died later that evening.
The case is the first confirmed death under Andalucia’s summer heat protocol, which was activated on May 16 to mitigate the public health risks of rising temperatures.
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Since then, eight people have been treated for heat stroke across the region – in Huelva, Sevilla, Almeria, Cadiz (two cases), Jaen, and Cordoba (two cases, including the deceased). Four of those patients required hospitalisation.
Protocol in effect until September
The heat action plan – officially named the Andalusian Coordination Protocol against the Effects of Excessive Temperatures on Health 2025 – will remain in force until September 30.
It is a multi-agency response involving the ministries of Health, Social Inclusion, Interior, Education, Tourism, and Employment, among others.
The protocol aims to anticipate heat waves using forecasts from Spain’s meteorological agency (AEMET), classify alerts by risk level, and coordinate care for high-risk populations.
High-risk groups
Those most vulnerable include the elderly, chronically ill, young children, and people on medications that hinder heat regulation — such as diuretics, antidepressants, and tranquilisers.
Authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant as Spain heads deeper into the summer — a season increasingly marked by lethal heat.
