Heatwave linked to over 1,000 deaths as Spain records hottest first half of year

More than 1,000 deaths in Spain have been linked to the recent heatwave that scorched Europe, as the country recorded its hottest first six months since records began, officials said on Wednesday.At least 1,028 people died of heat-related causes during the heatwave, according to the public Carlos III Health Institute. It is more than double the 407 deaths attributed to heat in June 2025, which had been Spain’s hottest June on record until now.The Spanish national weather agency, Aemet, said the January-June period this year was the warmest first semester on record, with temperatures averaging 1.6 °C above normal. “The seven warmest first semesters... have occurred over the past 10 years,” the agency said in a post on X on Wednesday.June 2026 itself ranked as the second-hottest June on record, with Aemet noting temperatures averaged “3. 2C above the norm.”The heatwave that swept across Europe from late June was the most intense ever recorded on the continent, and would have been “virtually impossible” in June without the influence of climate change, according to the World Weather Attribution group of scientists.All-time temperature records were broken in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, while the UK and Switzerland recorded their hottest Junes on record, AFP reported. France also saw record-breaking average temperatures, including its highest-ever nighttime readings.Catch the latest world news and top headlines. Download the TOI App.