Spain records 212 heat-linked deaths as June temperatures shatter records; 3,500 schools close in France

Record-breaking June temperatures

On Monday and Tuesday, Spain endured its hottest June days since at least 1950, according to the national weather agency AEMET. The average nationwide temperature on Monday reached 28.17°C, with Tuesday close behind at 28.08°C. In the northern region of Cantabria, the municipality of Tama recorded 43.7°C, the highest temperature ever measured there. Temperatures in many areas climbed well above 38°C, and the heatwave that began Sunday finally eased on Thursday, when no region remained under orange or red alert.

Excess deaths and the MoMo monitoring system

An estimated 212 deaths between Sunday 21 and Wednesday 24 June are linked to the extreme heat, based on preliminary projections from the MoMo system at the Carlos III Health Institute in Madrid. The system uses historical mortality, weather and demographic data to calculate daily excess deaths attributable to temperature increases. Diana Gómez, the scientist at the National Center for Epidemiology who manages MoMo, told the Spanish news agency EFE that the data show a "significant spike" in mortality over the four-day period.

The earlier heat waves start, the greater their effect on mortality.

Of the 212 deaths, 200 were among people aged 65 and over, and 148 were 85 or older. The institute cautioned that the numbers are statistical estimates of excess mortality, not confirmed causes of death, and that they will stabilize within a week. For context, the same four days in 2025 saw 98 heat-linked deaths. In the full summer period from mid-May to end of September 2025, MoMo attributed 3,832 deaths to heat, an 87.6% increase over the same period in 2024. So far this June, the system has registered 380 deaths linked to high temperatures, with 55% occurring during the just-ended heatwave.

School closures in France

The heatwave also affected France, where Education Minister Edouard Geffray reported that 3,500 schools closed and 10,000 others shifted classes to early morning hours to cope with the torrid conditions. The closures came as temperatures remained dangerously high on Thursday across much of the country.

A country accustomed to heat but under strain

Spain, one of the European countries most exposed to climate change, is used to extreme temperatures, but the frequency and intensity of heatwaves have been multiplying. The MoMo system was used in a recent study to identify 11,684 excess deaths between 2021 and 2024 that could be connected to heat. Health experts warn that extreme heat, especially when combined with humidity, strains the heart and kidneys; without cooling, the body can experience protein breakdown and organ failure, with the elderly particularly vulnerable.