July 2026 Sets Record Heat and Wildfires in Spain

• June and July 2026 were the hottest two-month period in Spain since 1961.
• Over 170,000 hectares burned in July alone, the worst forest fire damage in a decade.
• Heat-related deaths exceeded 2,000 in July, bringing the year's total to 3,158.

Climate and Weather Statistics

• The average temperature for June-July reached 24.5ºC, which is 2.9ºC above the 1991–2020 average.
• Precipitation hit record lows at just 17 l/m², marking the driest period on record.
• The five hottest June-July periods in Spanish history have all occurred since 2015.

Wildfire Crisis

• The 170,662 hectares burned in July represent 47% of the total area burned across the entire EU.
• Spain has recorded 382 fires this year, the highest number in the EU, ahead of Italy and France.
• Experts attribute the severity to a pattern of wet springs followed by extreme, dry summers, which creates high volumes of flammable vegetation.

Health and Global Implications

• Fatalities were concentrated in Catalonia (544), Andalusia (262), and the Valencian Community (235).
• The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged governments to treat extreme heat as a public health crisis.
• El Niño conditions are expected to worsen climate impacts for 45 countries in South America, the Caribbean, and Southern Africa through 2028, potentially leading to acute food insecurity for 50 million people.