Spain’s second-hottest June on record has been linked to 1,029 heat-attributable excess deaths, turning the first weeks of summer into a warning for families checking on older relatives, residents sleeping in overheated homes and holidaymakers looking for quick relief in pools, rivers or the sea.

How June heat became a household health risk before Spain’s summer peak

June’s heatwave has been felt throughout Spain’s households in a myriad of ways: shutters down all day, taking on errands late into the evening, checking on older neighbours, keeping fans running on high and avoiding those everyday terrace visits during the afternoon.

Official figures now show that universal discomfort was part of a much wider health risk. Spain recorded 1,029 excess deaths attributable to heat in June, according to data from the Health Ministry’s Daily Mortality Monitoring System, known as MoMo. The figure came as Spain and the rest of Europe endured a five-day heatwave with temperatures above 40ºC in several areas.

Spain’s state weather agency, the Agencia Estatal de Meteorología (AEMET), said average temperatures in June were 3.2ºC above normal, making it the second-hottest June since records began, behind only June 2025.

For British expats, tourists and residents across Spain, the concern is no longer only the peak of August. The latest figures show that dangerous heat is already becoming a serious health issue at the start of summer.

How Spain’s heat deaths can often be harder to see

The MoMo figure is not a list of people whose death certificates simply say “heatstroke”. Spain’s Daily Mortality Monitoring System estimates excess deaths by comparing observed mortality with expected mortality and assessing how much is attributable to temperature.

This matters because heat often works through existing illness. An older person with heart problems, someone with breathing difficulties, a person taking medication, or a resident recovering from another condition may not appear as a dramatic heat emergency. However, the pressure can build over several days.

The Spanish Health Ministry has repeatedly warned that people over 75 are among those most at risk from high temperatures. Babies, small children, pregnant women, people with chronic illness and those living alone are also considered vulnerable.

Nevertheless, the heat is becoming less of a forecast and more of a routine to manage. A short walk to the pharmacy, a bus stop without shade, a terrace that becomes unbearable by lunchtime or a night without proper sleep can all become part of the same risk.

How cooling off in water can also become dangerous

When the body feels trapped by heat, water looks like an escape. But recent deaths across Europe show how that instinct can turn dangerous, especially when people swim in unsupervised areas, enter the water suddenly after hours in the sun, drink alcohol, or overestimate their strength.

In France, 40 people drowned in recent days as people sought relief from the heat, the French prime minister said on June 23, according to Reuters. In Germany, the German Life Saving Association reported fatal bathing accidents during the heatwave, with rescuers warning that people, particularly men, often underestimate the risks of open water.

Spain has already had its own warning signs this summer. At least 13 drowning deaths were reported in three days in mid-June, most of them on beaches, with several victims aged over 70.

Not every drowning can be blamed on heat, and it would be wrong to claim that every case involved thermal shock. But heat brings more people to beaches, rivers, reservoirs and pools, often at the hottest and most tiring part of the day.

Cruz Roja advises bathers to use authorised and supervised bathing areas where possible and to avoid entering the water abruptly, especially after sun exposure. The old fear of a “corte de digestión” is often misunderstood; the more serious risk is the sudden temperature change after the body has been overheated.

How families and visitors can reduce the risk before July peaks

The latest June figures show that July and August are no longer the only dangerous months for heat-related incidents in Spain.

Families with older relatives may need to check whether homes are cooling at night, not only whether someone has water near their bed at night. Medication should be kept in a cool place, outdoor errands are safer earlier or later, and alcohol can make both heat and swimming risks worse.

For tourists, the warning is just as relevant. A hotel pool, a river spot or a beach swim can feel like the fastest way to recover from extreme heat, but lifeguarded areas, gradual entry into the water and avoiding swimming alone matter more when the body is already exhausted and overheating.

MoMo figures can still be revised because recent death registrations may arrive late. Even so, Spain’s summer health risk is no longer only about record temperatures, but about the ordinary day-to-day moments when people try to carry on as normal, sleep through hot nights, check on someone they love, or rush into water just to feel cool again.

If you’ve got a flight to Spain booked this summer, there’s something happening behind the scenes that could have an impact on your journey, and it’s probably not something you were expecting. As airports get ready for the busiest weeks of the year, airlines are raising concerns over one issue they believe could slow passengers down just when millions of people are heading off on holiday.

It’s become such a talking point that they’ve now made an unusual request before the summer rush really gets underway. So, what’s happened, why are airlines asking for a last-minute change, and could it affect your holiday?

Airlines say the biggest problems are still to come

With passenger numbers expected to soar over the coming weeks, airlines and airport operators across Europe are asking for the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) to be temporarily suspended whenever airports become too busy to keep queues under control.

They say they’ve already seen the new system cause lengthy delays at some airports, with reports of passengers waiting for hours to clear border controls. In some cases, travellers have missed flights or onward connections because they simply couldn’t get through the queues quickly enough. Their biggest concern is that what has happened so far could be just the beginning.

July and August are by far the busiest months of the year for air travel, and Spain is one of Europe’s most popular summer destinations. Every day, thousands of flights arrive and depart from airports including Málaga, Alicante, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona and Madrid. Airlines say that if airports are already struggling during quieter periods, the summer holiday rush could push the system beyond its limits.

So what are they actually asking for?

The industry says it supports the new system in the long term. What it’s asking for is a practical backup plan for the busiest days of the year. The proposal is straightforward. If queues start building to the point where passengers risk missing flights, border staff would temporarily return to manual passport stamping until things are under control. 

Once the backlog has cleared, the digital checks would resume. Airlines believe that flexibility could make a huge difference during peak travel periods, helping airports keep passengers moving without creating hours-long bottlenecks.

What does this mean if you’re flying to Spain?

Right now, nothing changes for passengers. The request has been made, but travellers should still expect the current border checks to remain in place unless something changes before the busiest holiday period begins. That doesn’t mean every airport will be affected, and it certainly doesn’t mean every traveller will face long queues. Many people may pass through without any noticeable delays.

But if you’re travelling during the holidays, over a weekend or at one of Spain’s busiest airports, it’s worth allowing more time than you normally would. Nobody wants to start their holiday watching the departure board while stuck in a passport queue, and that’s exactly the situation airlines say they’re trying to avoid. If you’re travelling with children, have an early morning flight or are catching a connecting service, building in extra time could save a lot of unnecessary stress.

Spain’s airports are about to get a lot busier

The timing of the request isn’t a coincidence. Spain is expecting another huge summer for tourism, with millions of visitors set to arrive over the coming weeks. That means airports will be handling some of the highest passenger numbers of the entire year.

Even small delays at passport control can quickly snowball when thousands of people arrive within a short space of time. A process that takes just a little longer for each traveller can eventually leave hundreds of people waiting in line. That’s why airlines are pushing for temporary flexibility before the busiest period really gets underway, rather than waiting until airports are already overwhelmed.

For now, travellers should plan ahead

Whether the request is accepted or not, the advice for anyone flying this summer remains much the same. Check your airline’s recommended arrival time before travelling and don’t leave it until the last minute to get to the airport, particularly if you’re flying during peak holiday dates.

Most journeys are still expected to run smoothly, but airlines believe giving airports the option to temporarily step back from the new border checks during periods of exceptional congestion could help avoid unnecessary delays when millions of people are travelling at once. For now, holidaymakers can only wait and see whether that request is granted. Until then, if Spain is on your summer travel plans, arriving a little earlier than usual could be the simplest way to make sure your holiday gets off to the right start.