Barcelona, Spain, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Extreme heat has a serious impact on health, especially for older people, a professor of Physical Geography at the University of Barcelona said in an interview with Xinhua on Friday, calling for more social support.
"The main threat is that excessive and extreme heat kills. It has a serious impact on health, especially for older people - many of whom live alone and suffer from chronic illnesses," warned Javier Martin-Vide.
His remarks come amid a troubling surge in heat-related deaths across Spain. According to the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, 1,180 people died from high temperatures between May 16 and July 13 - a staggering 1,300 percent increase compared to the same period last year, when 114 deaths were recorded.
Martin-Vide emphasized that many elderly Spaniards live alone in poorly insulated dwellings without air conditioning, calling for urgent measures, including regular visits by social and healthcare workers to ensure seniors stay hydrated and live in safe conditions during heatwaves.
Government data reinforces his concerns. The ministry reported that 95 percent of the victims were over the age of 65, and 59.2 percent were women.
The intensity and duration of this summer's heat have been unprecedented. In the first week of July, heat-related deaths rose by 47 percent compared to the entire month of June. Temperatures in parts of Spain reached as high as 40 degrees Celsius, triggering 76 red alerts for extreme heat - a dramatic rise from zero during the same period in 2024.
The regions most affected were in northern Spain, particularly Galicia, La Rioja, Asturias, and Cantabria.
Spain's meteorological office, AEMET, registered an average national temperature of 23.6 degrees Celsius in June, 0.8 percent higher than the previous historical maximum set in 2017. It forecasts that July will continue the extreme heat trend, with a 70 percent probability that the average monthly temperature will exceed historical norms.
Martin-Vide agreed with AEMET's forecast, noting that "the current temperatures resemble those of the hottest years in August, not (what's typically expected for) June or July."
