According to initial calculations, there are 84 deaths in the first three days, Spanish media report. The authorities expect a sharp increase in the coming days. More than 700 people died during the first heat wave in June. That series of extremely hot days came unusually early.
Studies show that in Spain an average of 1,300 people die every year from the heat. That is remarkably less than before, partly due to national measures after the deadly heat wave of 2003, when more than 6000 people died in Spain in two weeks. Air conditioning in care homes, for example, is now more common than it used to be. The importance of drinking enough water is also emphasized to prevent dehydration.
The heat also makes the country more prone to wildfires. On Friday, 2300 people were evacuated as a precaution on Spain’s Costa del Sol due to a fire near Málaga. The flames destroyed about 1000 hectares of forest within a few hours. The smoke clouds also reached some beaches, but thanks to strong inland winds, Málaga and nearby resorts such as Marbella, Fuengirola, Torremolinos and Benalmádena were not at risk.