Spain's recent heatwave most intense on record: agency

MADRID - Spain's State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) said Sunday that the heatwave striking the country this August was the most intense on record, both in terms of temperatures and impacts.

According to provisional data, average temperatures during the Aug 3-18 period were 4.6 degrees Celsius above the seasonal norm, surpassing the previous record of 4.5 degrees Celsius set in July 2022.

AEMET noted that Aug 8-17 marked the hottest 10 consecutive days since at least 1950, while the first 20 days of August were the hottest for that period since at least 1961. The days of Aug 11, 16, and 17 rank among the 10 hottest days registered in Spain since 1941.

Since records began in 1975, Spain has experienced 77 heatwaves. Six of these saw temperatures exceed the average by 4 degrees Celsius, with five occurring since 2019, indicating a trend toward longer and more intense heatwaves.

According to the government's Daily Mortality Monitoring System, this year's heatwaves have caused 1,149 deaths.

In addition, the extreme heat coincided with Spain's worst month of wildfires on record. Data from the European Forest Fire Information System show that 406,100 hectares of land, roughly 5.5 times the size of Singapore, have been burned.

The fires have claimed four lives and forced over 30,000 people to evacuate. Most evacuees have since returned, but many wildfires remained active as of Sunday.