UPDATE: Spain revises heatwave death toll up again to 1,047 deaths in nine days

On Jul 22, 2022

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HEATWAVE

The number of people who lost their lives due to heat-related causes during Spain’s scorching heatwave has been revised again by Spanish authorities from 679 deaths to 1,047, with 40C heat returning to several regions of Spain this weekend.

Published: 21 July 2022 14:30 CEST
Updated: 22 July 2022 10:56 CEST

Of the 679 people who have died during this heatwave in Spain, it is believed that 430 are over 85 years old. (Photo by FRED DUFOUR / AFP)

The Carlos III Health Institute, part of Spain’s Ministry of Health, has revised its figures to 1,047 deaths in just nine days during Spain’s heatwave – which lasted officially from July 10th to 19th – with Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th the days with the most deaths at 184.

On Thursday morning the figure was just 679, and the update continues a worrying upward trend.

This latest revision to the figures comes just days after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez confirmed that “more than 500 people died” during the heatwave, meaning that the updated death toll is more than double his initial prediction.

Worryingly, according to figures from Spain’s Daily Mortality Monitoring System, the number of deaths attributable to the soaring temperatures are consistently on the rise: on Sunday 10th there were only 15 deaths; 28 on Monday 11th; 41 on Tuesday 12th; 60 on Wednesday 13th; 93 on Thursday 14th; 123 on Friday 15th, and 150 on Saturday 16th.

On Sunday the 17th, the figure jumped to 169, while on Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th 184 deaths were reported.

Of the 1,047 dead during the heatwave, it is estimated that 672 were 85 or older, 241 were between 75 and 84, and another 88 between the ages of 65 and 74.

From Thursday, forecasts predict temperatures will rise again across much of Spain, with 12 out of Spain’s 17 regions on alert.

Spanish provinces on yellow and orange alert for high temperatures on Thursday July 21st. Map: AEMET weather agency

This comes after a brief and slight drop in temperatures, which was preceded by the third longest heatwave on record in Spain. In essence, it will be almost as if the ten-day heatwave that just ‘ended’ continues to rage on.

The extreme heat will be felt the most in Andalusia, Extremadura, Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha , where there is an orange warning (significant risk), reports the Agency State Meteorology (AEMET).

Temperatures north of 35C are expected in Ebro valley, Mallorca and areas of the Canary Islands, and temperatures could top 40C in the valleys of the Guadalquivir, Guadiana and Tagus.

June heatwave

The current ola de calor (heatwave) gripping Spain is not the first the country has suffered this summer, however.

Spain also had a heatwave in early June, which made it the earliest in the year since 1981. The spell of high temperatures, which lasted for little over a week, saw the mercury exceed 40C in many parts of the country, according to the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), in places like Jaén, where a staggering 44.5C was recorded on June 17th.

And like the current spell of scorching temperatures, such an unusually early heatwave also had fatal consequences in June. On both June 18th and 19th, 206 deaths were recorded, according to the Carlos III Health Institute. The institute estimates that the month of June saw 829 excess deaths that are attributable to the high temperatures.