Heatwaves in Spain Caused 1,180 Deaths in Past Two Months, Ministry Says
The vast majority of people who died were over 65 and more than half were women, the data it cited showed.
The most affected regions were Galicia, La Rioja, Asturias and Cantabria - all located in the northern half of the country, where traditionally cooler summer temperatures have seen a significant rise in recent years.
Like other countries in Western Europe, Spain has been hit by extreme heat in recent weeks, with temperatures often topping 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).
The 1,180 people who died of heat-related causes between May 16 and July 13 compared with 114 in the same period in 2024, the ministry said in a statement citing data from the Carlos III Health Institute. The number of deaths increased significantly in the first week of July.
The data shows an event "of exceptional intensity, characterized by an unprecedented increase in average temperatures and a significant increase in mortality attributable to heatwaves", the ministry said.
In the period the data covers, there were 76 red alerts for extreme heat, compared with none a year earlier.
Last summer, 2,191 deaths were attributed to heat-related causes in Spain, according to data from the Carlos III Health Institute.
The data from Spain follows a rapid scientific analysis published on July 9 that said around 2,300 people died of heat-related causes across 12 European cities during a severe heatwave in the 10 days to July 2.
It was not immediately clear whether the study conducted by scientists at Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine was using the same methodology as the Spanish data.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
7 hours ago
- Arab News
One in ten children screened in UNRWA clinics are malnourished, says UN Palestinian refugee agency
GENEVA: One in ten children screened in clinics run by the United Nations refugee agency in Gaza is malnourished, UNRWA said on Tuesday. "Our health teams are confirming that malnutrition rates are increasing in Gaza, especially since the siege was tightened more than four months ago on the second of March," UNRWA's Director of Communications, Juliette Touma, told reporters in Geneva via a video link from Amman, Jordan.
Asharq Al-Awsat
16 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Heatwaves in Spain Caused 1,180 Deaths in Past Two Months, Ministry Says
High temperatures caused 1,180 deaths in Spain in the past two months, a sharp increase from the same period last year, the Environment Ministry said on Monday. The vast majority of people who died were over 65 and more than half were women, the data it cited showed. The most affected regions were Galicia, La Rioja, Asturias and Cantabria - all located in the northern half of the country, where traditionally cooler summer temperatures have seen a significant rise in recent years. Like other countries in Western Europe, Spain has been hit by extreme heat in recent weeks, with temperatures often topping 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). The 1,180 people who died of heat-related causes between May 16 and July 13 compared with 114 in the same period in 2024, the ministry said in a statement citing data from the Carlos III Health Institute. The number of deaths increased significantly in the first week of July. The data shows an event "of exceptional intensity, characterized by an unprecedented increase in average temperatures and a significant increase in mortality attributable to heatwaves", the ministry said. In the period the data covers, there were 76 red alerts for extreme heat, compared with none a year earlier. Last summer, 2,191 deaths were attributed to heat-related causes in Spain, according to data from the Carlos III Health Institute. The data from Spain follows a rapid scientific analysis published on July 9 that said around 2,300 people died of heat-related causes across 12 European cities during a severe heatwave in the 10 days to July 2. It was not immediately clear whether the study conducted by scientists at Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine was using the same methodology as the Spanish data.
Al Arabiya
21 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Us ice cream makers say they'll stop using artificial dyes by 2028
Ice cream makers representing about 90 percent of the US supply of the frozen treat have pledged to remove artificial dyes from their products in less than three years, federal health officials said Monday. The move is the latest voluntary effort by food manufacturers to heed calls from the Trump administration to remove synthetic dyes over concerns about potential health effects. In recent weeks, companies including Nestle, Kraft Heinz, and General Mills said they would pull artificial colors from their foods, too. 'This is a Renaissance moment for health in America,' US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary said at a news conference. About 40 makers of ice cream and frozen dairy desserts said they would remove seven petroleum-based dyes from their products by 2028, according to Michael Dykes, president of the International Dairy Foods Association. The colors are Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6. The trade group wouldn't identify the firms, although Turkey Hill Dairy chief executive Andy Jacobs joined the gathering. 'The national focus on artificial food dyes is a good step to take, but officials should not ignore larger known contributors to chronic disease, including the added sugars and saturated fat commonly found in ice cream,' said Deanna Hoelscher, a University of Texas nutrition expert. 'Just taking out or changing the food dye source is not necessarily going to make it a healthy option,' she said. 'It still is a food that should be consumed in moderation.' However, Makary also hinted that new federal dietary guidelines expected later this year would challenge established links between saturated fat and heart disease, ending what he called a 70-year demonization of natural saturated fat. The average American eats about 4 gallons of ice cream a year, the IDFA said. Health advocates have long called for the removal of artificial dyes from foods, citing mixed studies showing that they may cause some neurobehavioral problems, such as hyperactivity and attention problems in some children. The Food and Drug Administration has maintained that approved dyes are safe and that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods made with them. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticized the dyes and pressured manufacturers to remove them from foods. In their place, manufacturers should use dyes made from fruit juices, plant extracts, and other sources, federal officials said. The FDA has approved new natural color additives in recent months, including a new blue color made from the fruit of the gardenia, announced Monday. 'Gardenia (genipin) blue is approved for use in sports drinks, candies, and certain other products,' the agency said. Makary also sent a letter to food manufacturers on Monday that encourages them to speed up removal of the dye known as Red 3, which was banned in January. Food makers have until 2027 to remove the dye, which was found to cause cancer in laboratory rats but not humans. Some food companies have said they will stop using artificial dyes, but relying on voluntary action rather than regulatory requirements won't guarantee compliance, said Thomas Galligan, a scientist with the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group. 'Talk is cheap,' Galligan said. 'It's easy for companies to make promises to look like they're being compliant and generate goodwill among consumers and the Trump administration, but it remains to be seen if they will actually follow through.'
