Spain heatwave linked to 212 deaths, France shuts 3,500 schools as temperatures soar
At least 212 people have died in Spain since Sunday as a brutal heatwave grips Europe, while France closes thousands of schools and records its hottest night ever.
Death toll mounts in Spain
At least 212 deaths in Spain between Sunday 21 June and Wednesday 24 June are linked to the extreme heat, according to estimates from the Carlos III Health Institute in Madrid. The figures come from the MoMo mortality monitoring system, which compares daily deaths to historical averages and incorporates temperature data from the national weather agency Aemet. The highest single-day toll was Wednesday, with 95 deaths, followed by 66 on Tuesday, 38 on Monday, and 13 on Sunday. Temperatures reached up to 45°C in parts of the country.
- 21 June
- 13 deaths
- 22 June
- 38 deaths
- 23 June
- 66 deaths
- 24 June
- 95 deaths
France closes schools, reports fatalities
In France, around 3,500 schools remained closed and 10,000 others adjusted their hours to early morning slots, Education Minister Edouard Geffray told France 2. A three-year-old child died in Saint-Gratien, Val-d'Oise, after being left alone in a parked car on Wednesday afternoon. In the Pas-de-Calais department, three people died at home: an elderly man who had been working outdoors and two individuals with pre-existing conditions. The department entered maximum heat alert on Wednesday around noon.
Temperature records shattered
Spain's Aemet reported that Monday (average 28.17°C) and Tuesday (28.08°C) were the hottest June days recorded since 1950. France's national minimum temperature index, based on 30 reference stations, reached 22°C on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, breaking the previous record of 21.6°C set just two nights earlier. By Thursday, no Spanish region remained under orange or red heat alert.
- Heatwave begins in Spain, 13 deaths recorded
- Hottest June day since 1950 (avg 28.17°C), 38 deaths
- Second hottest June day (28.08°C), 66 deaths
- Peak deaths (95), France records hottest night (22°C)
- Heat alerts lifted in Spain, schools closed in France
A worsening pattern
The 212 deaths in four days compare to 98 deaths attributed to heat during the same period in 2025. Last year, Spain recorded 3,832 heat-related deaths between mid-May and the end of September. The country, one of the European nations most affected by global warming, has seen heatwaves multiply and intensify in recent years. This is the first major heatwave of the 2026 summer.
