Spain reports 2,149 heat deaths

Spain’s Carlos III Health Institute said official mortality monitoring data showed 2,149 deaths in August were attributable to heat, after repeated heatwaves pushed temperatures higher across the country. The figure came from the MoMo daily mortality monitoring system, which estimates deaths linked to excess or deficit temperatures using historical mortality series. August’s total was higher than the 2,025 heat-attributable deaths recorded in July, according to the same database. The data landed as Spain’s state weather agency, AEMET, forecast more very high temperatures for September 2 through September 4, with widespread heat across much of the country. AEMET’s national forecast page showed continued high temperatures and active weather warnings, underscoring that the late-summer heat had not yet broken. ### Where does the 2,149 figure come from? The 2,149 total comes from MoMo, the mortality monitoring system run through Spain’s Carlos III Health Institute. (momo.isciii.es) The system says it identifies deviations in observed daily mortality from expected levels and calculates mortality attributable to the effect of temperature. August 2026 is listed in the MoMo monthly table with 35,837 observed deaths, 34,516 baseline estimated deaths, 1,321 excess deaths from all causes, and 2,149 deaths attributable to temperature. (aemet.es) The same table lists 2,025 heat-attributable deaths in July and 937 in June. ### How unusual is the heat heading into September? AEMET said in its Spain forecast that high temperatures would continue across large parts of the country on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. (cne.isciii.es) The agency’s forecast pages for September 2 and the following two days showed ongoing heat and weather alerts in force. Reuters reported, citing meteorological forecasts, that Spain could face a fifth heatwave this week, with temperatures reaching as high as 43 degrees Celsius and above 35C in many areas. (momo.isciii.es) That warning fits the broader AEMET forecast of persistent extreme heat conditions at the start of September. ### What does this mean for travelers already in Spain? Spain’s heat data matters most for older people and others exposed to prolonged high temperatures, because MoMo tracks mortality effects rather than only hospital admissions or emergency alerts. (aemet.es) The monitoring system presents heat as a measurable public-health variable, not just a weather event. AEMET’s forecast pages showed the heat extending across many regions, meaning travel disruption can come from conditions on the ground rather than transport cancellations alone. Local authorities typically use AEMET warnings and public-health alerts to advise on outdoor activity, hydration and exposure during peak afternoon temperatures. ### Is the border-queue warning tied to the heatwave? The European Commission says the Entry/Exit System is an automated IT system for registering non-EU nationals traveling for short stays each time they cross the external borders of 29 participating European countries. (cne.isciii.es) The Commission’s migration page says the system became fully operational on April 10, 2026. (aemet.es) The EES is separate from Spain’s heat emergency, but it is part of the same travel picture for non-EU visitors moving through Europe. The Commission says the system replaces passport stamping with digital records, and the travel-to-Europe portal says it applies each time non-EU nationals visit participating countries for short stays. ### What should readers watch next? (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) September 4 is the latest day covered on AEMET’s current national forecast pages, which continue to show high temperatures and warnings in parts of Spain. The next official update on heat-related mortality will come through the MoMo database, where monthly and daily temperature-attributable death estimates are published by the Carlos III Health Institute. (momo.isciii.es) (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu)