A rare and intense heatwave sweeping across Europe has pushed Spain to its second-hottest June on record, with 1,028 people dying from heat-related illnesses during the month, according to national statistics.
Spain's State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) reported that while June 2025 was the hottest June ever recorded in the country, with 407 heat-related deaths, this year's toll has more than doubled despite temperatures being slightly lower. The agency also noted that the first half of 2026 has been the warmest January-to-June period on record for Spain, with average temperatures 1.6°C above normal; June alone was 3.2°C warmer than the historical average, marking the second-hottest June in the country's history.
The extreme heat was not confined to the Iberian Peninsula. Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary all broke their own national temperature records for June, while the United Kingdom and Switzerland also registered their hottest Junes ever. A coalition of climate scientists said the heatwave, which began sweeping across the continent in late June, is the most severe ever recorded in Europe. They added that such high temperatures would have been "virtually impossible" in June without the influence of climate change.
The soaring temperatures have put health systems under strain and prompted authorities across the region to issue heat alerts, urging vulnerable populations to take precautions. With the summer still in its early stages, forecasters warn that further extremes could lie ahead.
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