Spain has been stringing together several years sweltering summers and episodes of extreme heat which no longer feel like an isolated event, but rather the new backdrop of the climate. Heat waves are lengthening, arriving earlier and departing later, while cities and towns try to adapt on the fly to record-breaking temperatures time and time again. The phenomenon connects with the global warming and its growing impact in climate and cities.
Faced with this scenario, various administrations, from the central government down to the local councilsThey are taking action: climate shelter networks are being prepared, schoolyards are being transformed into oases of shade and vegetation, and strategies are being designed to prevent high temperatures from further harming the most vulnerable people and exacerbating inequalities.
Heat waves are becoming the new normal in Spain
The Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has openly acknowledged that prolonged droughts and intense heat waves They have ceased to be rare events. As he explained at a climate conference, there are summers in which we no longer talk about several heat waves, but rather about a single almost continuous wave from June to Augusta situation that the authorities already consider part of the country's daily reality; phenomena that some studies link to almost permanent summers in certain areas.
Data from the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) points in the same direction: 2025 has been the warmest summer on record.With a 16-day heat wave in August that pushed thermometers above 45°C in large areas of southern Spain, temperatures reached as high as 45,8°C in Jerez de la Frontera and 45,2°C in Morón de la Frontera, making it the hottest summer on record, even surpassing 2022. You can find more detailed analyses of how August breaks historical heat record.
The underlying trend is clear: the average temperature in Spain It has risen by about 1,7°C since 1961This has led to a surge in the frequency and duration of extreme heat events. Analyses by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) align with this trend and identify global warming as the primary driver of this increase. Studies also suggest that global measures such as Paris Agreement would prevent days of extreme heat additional.
The exceptional heat is not limited to summer. Autumn 2025 saw an average temperature of 15,4 ºC, one degree above of the reference period 1991-2020. It has been the ninth warmest autumn on record, and the eighth warmest this century alone. In southern Andalusia, the temperature deviation reached 2 degrees in some areas, and in parts of Andalusia, Ceuta, and Melilla, conditions were reported as extreme. "extremely warm" even in this traditionally milder season.
The daily highs for autumn were around 1,4°C above normaland the minimums by about 0,7°C, thus increasing the daily temperature range. Stations like Huelva and Almería airport have broken historical average autumn temperature records, experiencing almost summer-like days with values close to 40°C. Gran Canaria, Granada, Cordoba or Jerez mid-September. For local inquiries and forecasts, see the weather forecast in Spain.
A serious health impact: thousands of deaths associated with extreme heat
The human cost of these heat waves is high and, in many cases, difficult to quantify preciselyHeat rarely appears as a direct cause on death certificates, but surveillance systems and epidemiological analyses paint a worrying picture. There are specific studies on heat-related deaths and its follow-up.
According to the MoMo monitoring system, between 2015 and 2023, the following would have occurred in Spain more than 21.700 heat-related deathsa figure that skyrockets if the summer of 2025 is included. Between mid-May and the end of September of that year alone, an estimated 3.832 deaths linked to high temperatures are expected, an increase of almost 88% compared to the same period in 2024.
Heatstroke and dehydration are the most visible effects, but experts remind us that extreme temperatures They aggravate cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological conditions.Heart attacks, strokes, and complications in people with chronic illnesses increase, placing additional stress on healthcare systems already under strain during the summer months. Research is also being conducted on impact on biological aging linked to heat stress.
Among the most exposed groups are the elderly people, babies And those with pre-existing health conditions or limited resources to cool their homes. Outdoor workers, such as those in agriculture, construction, or delivery, also suffer intensely from the effects of heat waves, especially during long days in the sun with little opportunity to rest in the shade.
Climate shelters: a state network to combat urban heat
Given this scenario, the Government has announced the creation of a national network of climate shelters which will be operational before next summer. The idea is to provide citizens with a coordinated network of air-conditioned public buildings where they can take refuge during the worst of heat waves; more information is available on the national network of climate shelters and its deployment.
These shelters will build upon initiatives already underway in regions such as Catalonia, Basque Country or MurciaIn Barcelona, for example, there are around 400 spaces listed as climate shelters: libraries, museums, sports centers, schools and shopping centers They have air conditioning, water points, and seating areas. They are designed especially for the elderly, families with babies, people with health problems, and those who do not have sufficient means at home to cope with the heat; Barcelona heat plan It is a local example of these measures.
The state plan envisions coordination with existing regional networks and finance new shelters in neighborhoods with the highest concentration of vulnerable populations. Priority will be given to areas with lower incomes, a lack of green spaces, and greater exposure to the so-called urban heat island effectwhere asphalt and hard surfaces accumulate solar radiation and retain heat well into the night.
As climate data specialists point out, this effect is amplified in densely built-up cities, where Asphalt and concrete absorb sunlight during the day and release it slowly. Thus, in the late afternoon the temperature remains high even though the sun is no longer present, prolonging the hours of heat stress for the urban population. urban heat island effect multiply these costs.
These climate shelters are designed as a free-access resource, for daytime use and, in some cases, also with extended hours during periods of extreme heat, with the aim of reduce mortality peaks and offer relief to those who cannot keep their homes at a safe temperature. They are part of a set of Strategies and solutions to deal with heat waves in the country.
Climate oases in schools: greener and shadier playgrounds
In addition to large urban facilities, some cities are beginning to specifically adapt the school spaceswhere the heat can be especially intense in playgrounds. This is the case in Castelló, which has launched the "Castellón Nature Network" project to transform a selection of schools into true climatic oases.
The plan, financed with European Regional Development Funds (ERDF), includes actions in 18 educational centers in the cityThey will be installed pergolas and plant coveringsSchool gardens will be created, and Mediterranean gardens and pollinator areas will be planted. The aim is to improve the thermal insulation of the playgrounds. multiply the shaded areas and increase the presence of vegetation to reduce ambient temperature.
According to the council, the selection of these centers was based on student vulnerability criteriaThe location in neighborhoods with a higher proportion of at-risk population, the lack of green spaces in the immediate surroundings, and the need for shade in the patios. The idea is to weave a genuine network of renaturated nodes that functions as a network of cool spaces within the city.
The project includes a broad participatory process with educational communitiesso that teachers, families, and students can participate in the design of the new playgrounds. The city's intention is for these spaces to become not only refuges from the heat, but also healthier and more pleasant places, with greater biodiversity and improved environmental quality in the neighborhoods.
This is a course of action that aligns with the proposals of many environmental organizations, which argue that renaturalize urban spaces —adding trees, green areas and permeable surfaces— is one of the most effective and affordable measures to mitigate the impact of heat waves in Spanish cities.
Extreme heat, social inequality, and more vulnerable neighborhoods
The increase in heat waves does not affect the entire population equally. Recent reports, such as that of Oxfam Intermón on climate inequality in SpainThey emphasize that warming and extreme weather events are hitting hardest those with less economic means and worse housing conditions.
According to this analysis, around 70% of the Spanish population lives in municipalities where the average temperature has already risen 1,5ºCMore than half of these people live in areas with below-average incomes. In these environments, heat waves encounter poorly insulated homes, difficulty affording efficient cooling systems, and, in many cases, less access to green spaces or cool public facilities.
Oxfam Intermón warns that more than a third of the population It fails to maintain a suitable temperature in summer. due to a lack of resources or the poor energy efficiency of their homes. Furthermore, many energy rehabilitation grants are complex to apply for or inaccessible to low-income households, which ultimately perpetuates summer energy poverty.
Older adults, outdoor workers, migrant and racialized communities, and low-income households are among the groups most vulnerable to heat waves. Both the IPCC and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) indicate that Climate impacts deepen economic, health, and generational gaps.and that adaptation policies must take these inequalities into account from the initial design stage.
In addition to high temperatures, other phenomena linked to climate change, such as floods and stormsThese events disproportionately affect those living in at-risk areas who have less financial means to protect their homes or recover from the damage. In the Valencian Community, for example, more than one million households are located in flood-prone areas, many of them with family incomes below €30.000 per year.
The heat is also hitting the sea: marine heat waves and fishing at risk
Heat waves don't only occur on land. The new Risk and Impact Assessment of Climate Change in Spain (ERICC), presented by the Ministry for Ecological Transition, warns of the growing incidence of marine heat waves and the sustained increase in water temperature.
In the chapter dedicated to agriculture, fishing, aquaculture and foodThe report highlights that rising sea temperatures, acidification, and changes in marine upwelling are altering ecosystems and species distribution. On the Atlantic coast, for example, effects are already being observed on sardines, octopus, and mussels, with reductions in biomass and changes in migration patterns.
In Galicia, there are indications of a decrease in the biomass of shellfish species such as the slimy clam, fine clam and Japanese clamThis trend could worsen if warming intensifies. Additional factors, such as pollution and red tide events, further aggravate the situation for shellfish beds and the communities that depend on them. There are local reports detailing how Galicia has suffered heat waves with record highs and health alert.
Aquaculture is also affected: increase in water temperature It hinders the growth and development of farmed species such as sea bass and gilthead seabream, and can promote the appearance of diseases and parasites. This necessitates enhanced health monitoring, the selection of more resistant species, and the adaptation of production techniques to increasingly variable conditions.
In this context, experts recommend promoting sustainable fisheries and aquaculture managementExtend early warning systems for extreme events and marine pollution, and carefully plan the location of facilities, including their possible relocation to areas less exposed to marine heat waves and sea level rise.
Adaptation, energy transition and more livable cities in the face of heat
The increase in heat waves necessitates combining short-term adaptation policies with a a deeper transformation of the energy and urban modelOrganizations such as Oxfam Intermón argue that the energy transition is an opportunity to correct structural inequalities, provided it is designed in a participatory manner and with criteria of social justice.
Among the priorities identified is the need to Improve energy efficiency in the homeThis is especially true in social housing and low-income neighborhoods. There are calls for renovation plans to incorporate summer comfort as a central focus and for subsidies to be accessible to low-income households, preventing extreme heat from becoming another factor of exclusion.
In urban areas, different strategies point in the same direction: increase tree massThese measures include restoring shaded areas, creating green and permeable spaces, and reducing the prevalence of asphalt in squares and streets. Combined with well-marked networks of climate shelters and information campaigns, these actions can significantly reduce the impact of heat waves in Spanish cities.
From a global climate perspective, there is also an emphasis on the need to accelerate decarbonization from the sectors that emit the most greenhouse gases—especially energy and transport—and to regulate the influence of major economic players on climate policies. The goal is to ensure that the costs and benefits of the transition do not fall disproportionately on those who already suffer the most from the consequences of heat waves. Report on economic losses due to extreme weather They reflect the economic impact.
Everything suggests that Spain will continue to face very hot summers and unusually mild autumnsWith episodes of extreme heat that will test public health, infrastructure, and social cohesion, the expansion of climate shelters, the renaturalization of schools and neighborhoods, and an energy transition aimed at reducing inequalities are emerging as key elements for the country to better withstand heat waves that, far from subsiding, seem to be here to stay.
