The high temperatures recorded in Spain last summer, breaking several records, directly caused the deaths of more than 350 people and led to an increase of more than 26 thousand fatalities, according to data published this Tuesday.
This data was revealed shortly before a second death among farm workers was reported, linked to the current heat wave.
From May to August 2022, 157,580 deaths were recorded, 26,849 (+20.5%) more than in the same period of 2019, the year used as a reference due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Spanish National Institute of Statistics (INE ). ) in its report on the country’s causes of death last year.
The more than 26,000 extra deaths compared to 2019 are related to existing chronic pathologies, such as hypertension, diabetes or senile dementia, which increase the risk of death in situations of high heat.
The same data indicates that of the deaths recorded during that period, 122 were directly attributed to heat stroke (up from 47 in 2019) and 233 were due to dehydration (up from 109 in 2019).
The year 2022 was marked by a summer of high temperatures and devastating fires, according to the National Meteorological Agency (Aemet).
Spain, meanwhile, is facing the first heat wave of this summer, with thermometers reaching over 44°C in Andalusia this Monday and hovering around 40°C during the day on Tuesday, prompting Aemet to put several regions on alert.
In Andalusia, the region usually most affected by heat waves, a 47-year-old man died on Saturday from the effects of sunstroke.
According to information collected by the AFP from the regional authorities, the man suffered from a number of pathologies after being overcome by the heat while working in the field, in the municipality of Aznalcóllar.
On Monday, in the Castile-La Mancha region, a farmer also died of heat stroke while working in the vineyards of Cinco Casas, the local mayor told Cadena Ser radio.
In a message of condolence posted on the Twitter network, Francisco Martínez Arroio, elected agriculture officer in the government of the region, called for “maximum protection” of workers in the agricultural sector in the context of this “terrible” heat wave.
According to Aemet’s initial estimates, this Sunday “has been added to this year’s list of high temperature records” and, if confirmed, should become “the twelfth record reached in 2023, before the end of the first half”.
In 2022, record high temperatures were recorded on 35 days, which is almost one in ten days.
Source: DN
