Andalucía records 134 heat-related deaths up to July, twice as many as last year

A total of 134 people have died in Andalucía from causes related to the high temperatures. According to estimates made by the system for monitoring daily mortality from all causes (MoMo), this figure represents twice as many heat-related deaths as there were last year.

From the beginning of the summer (1 June) until 31 July, a total of 12,154 deaths have been registered in the Andalusian region. Of them, 134 were caused by record temperatures. As a reference, there were 68 deaths in 2024, when the total number of deaths was 11,562.

Andalucía accounts for 9.1% of the total number of heat-related deaths in Spain. Of the 1,467 deaths in Spain, 866 were women, 857 of whom were over the age of 65.

Of the total number of deaths associated with the high temperatures in Andalucía this year, 49 were men and 84 were women . By age, 129 were over the age of 65 and 79 were over the age of 85. However, there were also eight deaths in the 45-65 age group, two in the 15-44 age group and one under the age of 16.

Of the 68 deaths in Andalucía in 2024, 66 people were over 65 and only two victims were women between the ages of 45 and 65.

The MoMo system was developed in 2004 to provide an annual comparison of the increase or reduction of deaths within the framework of the plan of preventive actions against the effects of excessive temperatures. Coordinated by the Ministry of Health, its aim is to reduce the impact of excessive temperatures on the population.

Andalucía welcomed this August with a heatwave that is sweeping across the region, with temperatures reaching 42C in different parts of the provinces of Seville, Cordoba, Jaén and Granada.

On Tuesday, 5 July, an amber alert for temperatures reaching 42C was activated in the Cordoba countryside and in the La Súbbetica district, in the Genil basin in Granada, in the Seville countryside and in most of the provinces of Jaén, Morena and Condado, in the Sierra de Cazorla, Sierra de la Segura and the Guadalquivir valley in Jaén.

A yellow warning was activated in Sierra and Pedroches in Cordoba, Guadix and Baza in Granada, Sierra de Aracena, Andévalo and Condado in Huelva, Jaén city and Montes de Jaén, Antequera and Seville, both the Sierra Norte and Sierra Sur.