Madrid: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said over 500 people have died during the 10-day heatwave in the country. He asked people to "exercise extreme caution".
It is the most intense heatwave ever recorded in the European nation. The high-temperature crisis has affected much of Western Europe. Many regions recorded temperatures as high as 45°C which sparked dozens of wildfires.
The meteorological agency AEMET said the July 9-18 heatwave was one of the most intense ever recorded in Spain. AEMET spokeswoman Beatriz Hervella told AFP that it is at least the third most intense heatwave in terms of its geographic extension and duration since modern records began in 1975. The other two were in July 2015 (26 days) and August 2003 (16 days).
Sanchez cited figures from the Carlos III Health Institute to estimate heat-related deaths. Authorities compared the number of excess deaths with average deaths in previous years. He clarified that these figures are a statistical estimate and not an official record of deaths.