According to estimates from Spanish authorities, 1,149 deaths can be linked to the heatwave, which affected the country between August 3 and 18.
This is one of the longest heatwaves in the last 50 years and in some places the temperature has risen above 45 degrees.
At the same time, the wildfires continue to ravage around the country. During the last 24 hours, an additional 30,000 hectares have been consumed by the flames.
Thus, over 373,000 hectares of land – an area larger than Gotland – have burned by Tuesday morning, according to Effis, an institution within the EU that monitors the fire situation in Europe using satellite images.
This makes this year's fire season the worst Spain has experienced since the measurements began in 2006. It thus surpasses 2022, when 306,000 hectares burned.
The worst affected are parts of the regions of Castile and León and Galicia in northwestern Spain and the western region of Extremadura. Only in Castile and León are there 29 fires burning on Tuesday, reports El Mundo.
Tens of thousands of inhabitants from dozens of villages have been evacuated, several major roads have been closed and trains between Madrid and Galicia have been cancelled.
The authorities continue to warn of the fires, but as the 16-day heatwave now begins to subside, the conditions are improving for the rescue services. The temperatures have dropped between 10 and 12 degrees from the peak and the humidity has increased.
