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Heatwave That Led to Wildfires Was Spain's 'Most Intense on Record'
The Guardian
|August 25, 2025
A 16-day heatwave Spain suffered this month was "the most intense on record," the country's state meteorological agency (AEMET) has said.
Provisional readings for the 3-18 August heatwave exceeded the last record, set in July 2022, and showed an average temperature 4.6C higher than previous heatwaves, the agency said on X.
The August heatwave exacerbated tinderbox conditions in Spain that fuelled wildfires that continue to affect parts of the north and west of the country.
More than 1,100 deaths have been linked to the heatwave, according to an estimate released on Tuesday by the Carlos III Health Institute.
Since its records began in 1975, AEMET has registered 77 heatwaves in Spain, with six involving temperatures 4C or more above the average - five of those since 2019.
This story is from the August 25, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
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