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Thirteen dead in one week in the most lethal heatwave of the Murcian summer
Since June 1, 21 people have died as a result of the high temperatures recorded in the Region of Murcia
The latest heatwave, which we’ve only just seen the back of, has proved to be the deadliest of all time. Thirteen lives were lost in a single week, from August 18 to 24, in the Region of Murcia alone.
These grim numbers come from the daily mortality monitoring system (MoMo) of the Carlos III Health Institute, part of Spain's Ministry of Health.
Since June 1, the death toll linked to extreme heat has risen to 21 in Murcia. The brutal surge in temperatures triggered a red alert, with daytime highs soaring past 45ºC and nights that refused to cool below 30ºC. These conditions proved lethal.
The jump in fatalities has been shocking. Between June 1 and August 5, MoMo recorded six deaths “attributable to temperature.” But by Monday August 25, that figure had exploded to thirteen in just one week.
If the pace continues, this summer could double last year’s death toll. In 2024, eight people lost their lives to extreme heat. This year, the numbers are already climbing higher, and summer is not over yet.
The figures leave no room for doubt about the severity of the heat gripping Spain, driven by climate change. The heatwave stretched over 16 relentless days, with the period from August 8 to 17 marking the hottest days ever recorded in Spain.
For this summer alone, the Ministry has reported a staggering 3,086 deaths across the Region of Murcia during what it classifies as the summer period, running from May 15 onwards. Out of these, 21 are directly linked to extreme heat.
From July 1 to August 1, six heat-related deaths occurred in Murcia, among 1,066 observed deaths. But from August 1 to 24, fifteen more were recorded as directly linked to soaring temperatures.
Yet the regional health authorities claim otherwise, stating that “according to the Epidemiology Service, there have been no deaths from heat stroke this summer.”
But the human cost of this heatwave goes beyond direct heat stroke. Torrid conditions worsen cardiovascular issues, triggering more heart attacks and arrhythmias. Respiratory problems, asthma, COPD, rhinosinusitis and even gastrointestinal illnesses flare up as bodies struggle to cope.
Local health centres are seeing the fallout: insomnia, weakness and aggravated chronic conditions. Without air conditioning or fans, sleep becomes nearly impossible. Doctors stress that 23ºC is the ideal temperature for rest, far cooler than what residents have endured for weeks.
The 2025 heatwave has now shattered the record for the most intense in Spanish history, surpassing the infamous summer of 2022. Aemet has confirmed this unsettling fact but thankfully, the experts don’t foresee another heatwave happening anytime soon.
The trend is alarming. This is no longer about isolated years. Summers are showing a clear pattern of extreme heat, with deadly consequences for both people and the land, where megafires threaten forests and communities.
The UN’s climate panel, IPCC, once predicted that Mediterranean summers would warm by around 2ºC by the middle of this century. Yet that increase has arrived decades earlier.
Expert data shows the Mediterranean is heating far faster than the global average, both on land and at sea, and the pace is accelerating.
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Images: Freepik/Aemet
