Heat linked to 586 deaths across Valencia region this summer

Alicante recorded 279 of the estimated deaths as the region endured three heatwaves and a record number of exceptionally warm nights

Summer may officially be over, but with temperatures still heading for 36°C, it certainly doesn't feel like autumn has arrived just yet. After months of intense heat across the Comunitat Valenciana, the latest figures give us another indication of just how much the high temperatures have taken their toll.

An estimated 586 people died as a result of high temperatures in the region between June 21 and September 21, according to Spain's MoMo mortality monitoring system. That's the highest figure recorded since the system began keeping records in 2015.

Alicante province recorded the highest number, with 279 deaths, followed by Valencia with 179 and Castellón with 128.

Across Spain, MoMo estimates that 5,428 deaths were attributable to high temperatures during the same period. Most of those recorded in the Comunitat Valenciana were people aged over 65.

The figures come after an exceptionally hot summer in the region. The June to August period was the warmest on record for the Comunitat Valenciana, with three heatwaves and a record 65 torrid nights, when temperatures stayed unusually high overnight.

For anyone who spent the summer here, those nights may be one of the things that stand out most. When the temperature refuses to drop after sunset, getting a proper night's sleep can become difficult, particularly during prolonged spells of extreme heat.

July was the deadliest month

July accounted for the largest number of estimated heat-related deaths, with 235, while August followed closely behind with 228.

There were another 57 deaths between June 21 and 30, and 65 between September 1 and 21.

The worst week was July 5 to 11, when 105 deaths were attributed to high temperatures. The week of August 16 to 22 followed with 100. On the worst individual day, 22 deaths were recorded on July 10. There were 20 the following day, while July 21 and August 20 each saw 19.

The numbers are also noticeably higher than in previous years. The Comunitat Valenciana recorded 431 heat-attributable deaths during summer 2025, compared with 348 in 2015, 329 in 2022 and 306 in 2023.

It's important to understand what these figures actually mean. MoMo doesn't identify heat as the direct cause of death for each individual. Instead, it compares the number of deaths recorded with the number normally expected for a particular population and period, allowing it to estimate the excess mortality associated with extreme temperatures.

And the 2026 figures aren't yet set in stone. MoMo continues updating its estimates as delayed death notifications come in, so the final number may change over the coming weeks.

Images: Archive