{
  "id": 6428586,
  "title": "Spain endured hottest summer on record",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/spain-endured-hottest-summer-on-record-6428586",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-09T12:49:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/09/09/spain-endured-hottest-summer-on-record"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mainland Spain experienced its hottest summer on record, with an unprecedented 61 heatwave days during June, July, and August, according to the national weather agency AEMET. The average temperature for those three months was 24.5°C, surpassing the previous record set in 2022 by just 0.3°C, but a significant 2.4°C higher than the 1991-2020 reference period. Scientists attribute the extreme heat to human-driven climate change, which has intensified and lengthened heatwaves. This year's number of heatwave days shattered the previous high of 41 from 2022. The southwestern municipality of El Granado recorded a temperature of 45.7°C on September 2, matching the month's temperature record and marking the highest temperature in Spain this year. The severe heat has claimed over 5,000 lives across Europe since June and has disrupted daily life, economies, and natural landscapes through drought, low river levels, and wildfires. In Spain alone, the Carlos III Health Institute reported more than 5,000 heat-related deaths between June and August, a record since statistics began in 2015. A massive wildfire west of Madrid in late July forced the evacuation of tens of thousands, described as Spain's largest wildfire in recent history. As of September 2, nearly 296,000 hectares (731,000 acres) had burned across Spain, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.",
  "summary": "National weather agency AEMET said on Wednesday that Spain experienced an unprecedented 61 heatwave days across June, July and August.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Spain endured hottest summer on record",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/spain-endured-hottest-summer-on-record",
        "published": "2026-09-09T12:49:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}