Spain: August Heatwave is the Most Intense Recorded
The Spanish National Meteorological Agency announced yesterday that the heatwave that swept through Spain for sixteen days in August was “the most intense since records began.”
According to preliminary data, this recent heatwave exceeded the one recorded in July 2022 by an average temperature of 4.6 degrees Celsius above the usual levels for such phenomena.
The record heatwave of 2022 had a temperature difference of 4.5 degrees Celsius, as reported by the National Agency. Since 1975, Spain has recorded a total of 77 heatwaves, of which six have registered temperature increases of four degrees or more, five of which occurred since 2019, reflecting the worsening of global warming. The heatwave ended on August 18, with the period from August 8 to 17 being “the hottest ever in the country since at least 1950,” according to the National Meteorological Agency.
Based on estimates from the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), the heatwave may have been responsible for the deaths of 1,149 people in August. The “MOMO” system, operated by the institute, compares daily death rates with expected figures based on records, later factoring in temperatures reported by the National Meteorological Agency.
While the system does not establish a direct causal connection between deaths and climatic conditions, it provides the best estimate of the number of fatalities potentially affected by the heatwave. The heatwave also fueled massive wildfires that are still ongoing in Spain and Portugal, destroying over 400,000 hectares and resulting in the deaths of four individuals in each country.
