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Date Published: 12/07/2022

ARCHIVED - The deadly side of heatwaves: almost 2,000 people have died this year in Spain from the heat

ARCHIVED ARTICLE

Since 2020, more than 7,000 people have succumbed to the high temperatures in Spain

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - The deadly side of heatwaves: almost 2,000 people have died this year in Spain from the heat

Spain is right in the thick of the second heatwave of the year, having already scorched in record temperatures in June. And while the intense heat certainly makes life difficult and sleeping nigh on impossible, the effects of this weather phenomenon can actually be far more deadly.

According to the latest report from the Daily Mortality Monitoring System (MoMo), since January 2020 there have been 107,473 more deaths in Spain than would normally be expected, and a staggering 7,377 of these were attributed to the heat.

This year alone, 1,918 people have died due to the high temperatures, of which the vast majority (829) occurred during the June heatwave.

In the first week of July, five people have lost their lives; however, the experts explained that this is not necessarily due directly to heatstroke, but rather the high temperatures aggravating other conditions.

The current heatwave is well underway, with most of the country expected to sizzle in temperatures above 35ºC between Tuesday and Thursday this week, while parts of Andalucía could even exceed 45ºC.

Faced with this situation, the health authorities have issued guidance on protecting ourselves from the heat, while the Spanish government has appealed to people to go easy on the air conditioning to avoid sending electricity bills skyrocketing.

Signs and symptoms of heat stroke

Anyone can fall victim to the extreme temperatures, but certain groups are more susceptible: people over the age of 65, those with chronic cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney failure or neurological and psychiatric diseases and who require different pharmacological treatments, as well as children under 4 years of age, especially babies.

According to the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine, the most common warning signs are discomfort, dizziness, headache, nausea, cramps, vomiting and excessive sweating.

If any of these symptoms appear, it’s advisable to stop what you are doing, rest in a cool place and drink water. However, if these indicators are accompanied by an increase in body temperature, severe headache or loss of consciousness it could be a sign that you are suffering from heat stroke, and immediate medical attention should be sought.

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