Since meteorological data began to be compiled in 1975, Spain has just experienced the most intense heatwave the country has ever recorded.
A dramatic ending. The heat wave that ravaged Spain for almost ten days “killed more than 500 people,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday during a trip to the fire-hit region of Aragon in the north of the country.
“During this heat wave, data shows that more than 500 people died from such high temperatures,” he said, referring to an excess mortality estimate released by a public health institute.
A report puts the death toll at 679.
The Carlos III Health Institute goes even further: this organization estimates that 679 deaths are directly attributable to this episode, according to the latest report by Public Spanish TV.
Spain just experienced the most intense heatwave ever recorded in the country from July 9-18, according to preliminary data released by the national weather agency (Aemet) on Wednesday. The extremely high temperatures of over 45 °C have sparked huge fires across the country since last week.