The central and northern regions of the country have been the most affected. Wednesday saw the highest excess mortality, with 95 registered deaths, nearly half of the total. Monday and Tuesday were the warmest days recorded in Spain for June since at least 1950, with 38 and 66 deaths respectively. Sunday accounted for 13.
Diana Gómez, a scientist at the National Epidemiology Center (CNE), notes that the data is preliminary and will require a week for greater stability. The MoMo tool does not measure actual deaths but rather makes a statistical projection by cross-referencing observed daily mortality with expected mortality and temperatures.
However, the initial figures reveal a significant "surge" in the last four days of June. Provisionally, June has recorded 380 deaths due to high temperatures, more than half (55%) during the heatwave ending this Thursday. These figures would be added to the 101 deaths linked to extreme heat recorded in May, the highest number for that month in the historical series.
By autonomous communities, the excess mortality curve is more pronounced in the central and northern regions: 43 in Catalonia, 32 in Castile and León, 30 in the Basque Country, 28 in Madrid, 18 in Andalusia, 13 in Navarre and Aragon, 11 in Castile-La Mancha, 8 in the Valencian Community, 7 in Asturias, 5 in Galicia, and 3 in Cantabria, Extremadura, and La Rioja.
Experts warn that heatwaves are arriving earlier each year. A study currently being finalized by the CNE suggests that the earlier they begin, the greater their impact on mortality.
Heat primarily affects the most vulnerable populations, exacerbating pre-existing conditions. Of the 212 deaths calculated by MoMo for this period, 200 occurred in individuals over 65 years old, particularly those over 85, a group that accounts for 148 deaths.
This June has also set records by exceeding 30 degrees Celsius for minimum temperatures for several consecutive nights for the first time, with the nights of the 22nd and 23rd being the warmest recorded. Although MoMo does not measure the impact of torrid nights, recent studies indicate that nighttime temperatures have risen faster than daytime temperatures globally.
