Nearly five thousand more deaths in Spain due to record heat and drought in 2022 | Abroad

2022 was the hottest year on record for Spain since the country began keeping records in 1916, reports the Spanish Meteorological Service AEMET Monday. Because it was also one of the driest years ever, nearly five thousand more people died.

Last year it was an average of 15.5 degrees in Spain. The average temperature in the country has never been so high before. “It had never been 14.5 degrees until 2011. It has happened five times since then,” reports AEMET.

Spain has experienced heatwaves this summer and autumn, with temperatures soaring well into the 40s. According to the meteorological service, May, July and October in particular were “extremely hot”.

That heat was combined with extreme dryness. Only in 2005 and 2017 was the rainfall in Spain lower than in 2022. Due to the combination of heat and drought, Spain was devastated by forest fires during the summer.

In the country, some 4,750 additional deaths can be traced to the exceptional heat and summer drought. That’s three times as much last year. Other Spaniards may have died from the heat.