Spain officially experienced its hottest June on record last month, authorities have confirmed, with deadly consequences.
According to data from the National Centre for Epidemiology, soaring temperatures across the country caused 390 deaths last month, with 48 of them in Andalucia alone.
The figures show a sharp spike in heat-related deaths, nearly seven times higher than those recorded in June 2020, the previous hottest June, which saw 59 fatalities.
The hardest-hit region was Galicia, with 81 deaths, followed closely by Andalucia and Catalonia, with 48 and 47 respectively.
The death-tracking system (MoMo) doesn’t just count hospital-confirmed heat stroke deaths.
Instead, it measures excess mortality and links it to temperature patterns, providing a broader and more telling picture of how extreme weather silently impacts public health.
The data confirms a consistent trend: nine out of ten victims were over the age of 74. And while August remains the deadliest month for heat in Spain – with 60% of annual heat-related deaths typically occurring then – June 2025 has already raised alarms among public health experts.
While one might expect southern regions like Andalucia to suffer most, Galicia, one of Spain’s cooler provinces, reported the highest death toll.
The explanation, experts say, lies in ‘cultural preparedness.’ In regions where heat is rare, infrastructure and public awareness are often ill-equipped to handle sudden spikes.
In Andalucia, for example, officials activated the Coordination Protocol Against Excessive Temperatures as early as May 16, anticipating a brutal summer.
Since then, the region has officially recorded 11 cases of heat stroke, according to the regional health department.
Of those, three remain hospitalised, six have been discharged, and two people in Cordoba died as a direct result of heat stroke during June.
