When temperatures soar above 40°C, it is easy to assume everyone is enduring the same relentless heat, they’re not. In today’s Spain, your postcode can determine whether your street is shaded by mature trees or surrounded by concrete that radiates heat long after sunset. It can decide whether your home stays bearable through the night or turns into an oven. 

And for a growing number of households, it can mean the difference between switching on the air conditioning without a second thought or leaving it off because the electricity bill is simply too high. As another intense summer grips the country, staying cool is becoming more than a matter of comfort. For millions of people, it is becoming another form of inequality.

The postcode lottery of summer

Take a walk through two neighbourhoods in the same city on a hot afternoon and the contrast can be remarkable. One may have tree-lined streets, shaded parks and green spaces that naturally lower temperatures. A few kilometres away, another may be dominated by concrete buildings, asphalt roads and very little shade, absorbing the day’s heat before slowly releasing it throughout the evening.

It is a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect, and it means some neighbourhoods can remain several degrees warmer than others, particularly after dark. That difference matters, night-time is when the body is supposed to recover from the day’s heat. But for thousands of families living in heavily built-up areas, the temperature inside their homes barely falls, making sleep difficult and increasing the risk of heat-related illness.

When staying cool becomes a luxury

For many households, escaping the heat is easier said than done. Spain has one of the highest rates of home ownership in Europe, but many properties were built long before modern insulation standards became the norm. Top-floor apartments, older buildings and homes with poor ventilation can trap heat well into the early hours of the morning. Air conditioning may seem like the obvious answer, but not everyone can afford to install it or keep it running during prolonged heatwaves.

Research in Spain has revealed a shocking divide. Households on higher incomes are far more likely to have access to air conditioning than those on lower incomes, leaving many families relying on fans, open windows or public buildings to find relief. As energy prices and the cost of living continue to put pressure on household budgets, staying cool is becoming a luxury that not everyone can afford.

More than an uncomfortable night

Extreme heat is often dismissed as an inconvenience, but its effects can be far more serious, high overnight temperatures prevent the body from recovering, increasing the risk of dehydration, exhaustion and heatstroke. They can also worsen existing heart and respiratory conditions, particularly among older people and those with underlying health problems.

Lack of sleep caused by persistently hot nights has been linked to increased stress, reduced concentration and poorer mental wellbeing, while families with young children often face days of exhaustion after another restless night. The danger is not always the blistering afternoon sun, sometimes it is the heat that lingers long after darkness falls.

Spain’s summers are changing

There is little doubt that Spain is becoming hotter, heatwaves are arriving earlier, lasting longer and pushing temperatures to levels that were once considered exceptional. Public health alerts have become routine, while local authorities increasingly open climate shelters, libraries and community centres to give residents somewhere to cool down.

But hotter weather is also exposing another reality, the people most affected are often those living in neighbourhoods with the fewest trees, the least green space and the oldest housing, where escaping the heat is far more difficult than simply stepping indoors.

A challenge that goes beyond the weather

Spain has always adapted to summer. Shutters are closed during the hottest hours, daily routines shift and life slows down until the evening breeze arrives, yet those traditions are proving less effective as temperatures continue to climb. The challenge is no longer simply preparing for another heatwave. It is ensuring that the ability to stay safe does not depend on your income or your address.

Because while the weather forecast may be the same for everyone, the reality on the ground is very different. For some, a heatwave means turning on the air conditioning and waiting for cooler days to arrive. For others, it means another sleepless night in an overheated home, another day searching for shade and another reminder that, in modern Spain, your postcode can have just as much influence on how you experience summer as the temperature itself.

Another summer, another wave of wildfires sweeping across Spain, as flames continue to tear through parts of the country, firefighters are once again battling extreme conditions, residents are being forced to leave their homes and communities are watching helplessly as landscapes they know and love are transformed into ash. Heatwaves, drought and strong winds are often blamed when Spain burns, and they are undoubtedly major factors. But there is another part of the story that is receiving increasing attention.

Spain’s forests have changed, years of rural abandonment, reduced forest management and the disappearance of traditional grazing have left large areas of countryside carrying far more vegetation than in the past. And when that vegetation dries out under the summer sun, it becomes fuel waiting for a spark.

A hidden problem beneath the flames

Wildfires do not become catastrophic simply because temperatures rise, they become catastrophic when there is enough material available to burn. For generations, Spain’s rural landscapes were constantly managed. Farmers cleared land, woodland was maintained and livestock moved through forests and hillsides, naturally reducing the amount of dry vegetation.

That balance has changed, as rural populations have declined and traditional farming has become harder to sustain, many areas of countryside have been left unmanaged. Fields have become overgrown, paths have disappeared and forests have become increasingly dense. The result is a landscape where fires can spread faster and burn with greater intensity than they once did.

The countryside Spain once knew is disappearing

The transformation has been gradual, making it easy to overlook, across rural Spain, villages that were once full of agricultural activity have lost residents as younger generations moved away. Traditional jobs linked to the land have declined, and with them many of the practices that helped keep vegetation under control.

What was once a carefully managed relationship between people and nature has become a challenge. Forests are essential for biodiversity, wildlife and the environment, but unmanaged growth can create dangerous conditions during extreme weather. The problem is particularly serious in areas where woodland sits close to homes and communities, creating the risk that a wildfire can quickly move from rural areas towards populated zones.

The return of Spain’s natural fire prevention team

One of the most surprising solutions comes from an old tradition, farm animals such as sheep and goats once played an important role in maintaining Spain’s landscapes. By grazing on shrubs and dry vegetation, they helped reduce the amount of material available to fuel fires. Today, as extensive livestock farming declines, many of those natural “firefighters” have disappeared.

In some parts of Spain, grazing animals are being brought back as part of wildfire prevention programmes. The idea is simple: reducing vegetation before summer arrives can help slow down fires when they eventually occur, tt is not a replacement for firefighters or emergency services, but it is another tool in preventing small fires from becoming uncontrollable disasters.

Why Spain’s firefighters face an increasingly difficult battle

Spain has some of Europe’s most experienced wildfire teams, supported by aircraft, helicopters and specialist emergency units, but even the most advanced equipment has limits. When fires enter landscapes filled with dry scrub and dense vegetation, they can become unpredictable and extremely difficult to contain.

Strong winds can push flames across huge areas in a matter of hours, leaving little time for communities to react, the challenge is not only putting out fires once they begin, it is reducing the conditions that allow them to become so destructive in the first place.

A warning Spain cannot ignore

The country’s wildfire crisis is not caused by one single factor, climate change is increasing the pressure on Mediterranean landscapes, bringing hotter and drier conditions. But the way land is managed also plays a crucial role in determining how severe the consequences will be.

Every abandoned field, every unmanaged forest and every loss of traditional rural activity adds to the challenge facing Spain during the summer months. Preventing future disasters will require investment in woodland management, support for rural communities and a rethink of how the countryside is maintained.

Because once flames are visible on the horizon, much of the damage has already been set in motion. Spain cannot stop every heatwave or prevent every spark. But reducing the amount of fuel waiting beneath its forests could determine whether the next fire becomes a contained emergency or another devastating wildfire. The battle against Spain’s wildfires may be fought with water and aircraft when the flames arrive, but it begins much earlier, among the trees.

Most people would think twice about running for a bus at the age of 86. One British pensioner took it a step further and chose to run alongside charging bulls through the narrow streets of Pamplona instead. His daring decision ended with a trip to hospital after he was injured during the final running of the bulls at Spain’s world-famous San Fermín festival, but authorities say his injuries were not considered serious.

The man, from Halesowen in England’s West Midlands, suffered injuries to his right hand, left elbow and right eyebrow after taking part in one of Spain’s oldest and most dangerous traditions. While his age has captured headlines around the world, his story has also reignited debate about the risks people are willing to take in pursuit of a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

One of the world’s most dangerous festivals

Every July, thousands of runners dressed in the traditional white clothing and red neckerchiefs flood the streets of Pamplona for the encierro, the famous running of the bulls. The event lasts only a few minutes, but during that time participants race ahead of six fighting bulls through an 875-metre course towards the city’s bullring.

It is a tradition that attracts thrill-seekers from across the globe, including many British visitors who travel to northern Spain specifically to take part. Despite extensive safety measures, injuries are common every year. Runners are knocked over, trampled or crushed against barriers, while some suffer horn wounds that can be life-threatening.

The final bull run ends with multiple injuries

The 86-year-old Brit was among several people injured during the final bull run of this year’s festival. According to the Government of Navarra, emergency teams treated multiple runners following the event, while two Spanish participants suffered gorings requiring hospital treatment.

The British man escaped the most serious injuries, but his age has made his participation particularly remarkable. Medical staff reported that he suffered injuries to his hand, elbow and eyebrow before being taken for treatment. For many watching around the world, the obvious question was the same: what motivates someone in their eighties to run with six charging bulls?

A tradition that divides opinion

For those in support of the event, the running of the bulls is far more than a tourist attraction. The festival has deep roots in Spanish culture and has been celebrated in Pamplona for centuries. Many participants describe the run as an unforgettable personal challenge that demands courage, concentration and respect for the animals. Others argue that no amount of preparation can remove the danger.

Animal welfare organisations have long criticised the festival, while safety experts regularly remind participants that experience offers no guarantee of avoiding injury. Every year, officials urge runners not to take unnecessary risks, avoid filming on mobile phones and leave the course immediately if they fall. Yet thousands continue to line up each morning, accepting that injuries are part of the event’s reality.

Should there be limits

Bull-running injuries are reported every summer, but this case has stood out because of the runner’s age. At 86, most people are slowing down rather than testing themselves against one of Spain’s most physically demanding traditions.

His participation has prompted admiration from some, disbelief from others and renewed discussion about personal responsibility in high-risk events. While there are no upper age limits for taking part, organisers repeatedly stress that every runner should honestly assess whether they are physically capable of completing the course safely.

A reminder that the risk is real

The San Fermín festival remains one of Spain’s biggest international attractions, drawing visitors from every corner of the world. For many, completing the run is a lifelong ambition. For others, simply watching from the safety of a balcony is excitement enough. This year’s festival has once again demonstrated both the enduring appeal and the undeniable danger of the event. The British pensioner was fortunate that his injuries were relatively minor. Others involved in the same run were not as lucky.

As the crowds leave Pamplona and another San Fermín comes to an end, the image likely to stay with many people is not simply that of charging bulls racing through medieval streets, but of an 86-year-old Brit refusing to let age dictate his sense of adventure. Whether you see that as inspiring or reckless will depend on your point of view.

One thing, however, is beyond debate, every runner who steps onto the streets of Pamplona knows they are taking a gamble, because when the starting rocket sounds, age, nationality and experience count for very little against half a tonne of charging bull.