Spain has just closed the book on its hottest summer since records began in 1961, a season marked by relentless heatwaves and devastating wildfires. According to Spain’s national meteorological agency, AEMET, the summer of 2025 registered an average temperature of 24.2 °C — a staggering 2.1 °C above the seasonal norm and edging past the previous record set in 2022.
The unprecedented heat blanketed the country for weeks. August alone brought a searing 16-day heatwave, the longest and most intense in Spain’s history, with southern regions experiencing temperatures that soared above 45 °C. In Galicia, inland areas recorded anomalies of nearly 3 °C above average, underscoring the nationwide scope of the crisis.
But the soaring temperatures told only part of the story. Spain also endured its most destructive wildfire season in three decades. Vast swathes of countryside were consumed by flames, contributing to more than one million hectares of land lost across the European Union this year. The fires pumped record amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, further fueling the climate emergency.
The human and economic costs were immediate and severe. Health authorities issued repeated warnings as hospitals braced for heat-related emergencies. Farmers watched crops wither under scorching skies and parched soils, while power grids strained under record demand for air conditioning. In towns and villages, forced evacuations left families scrambling to escape advancing flames.
Looking ahead, there is little sign of relief. AEMET forecasts an unusually warm autumn, with northern and eastern regions — including the Balearic Islands — set to face above-average temperatures, while parts of western Spain and the Canary Islands could see drier than normal conditions.
Climate scientists warn that Spain’s ordeal this summer is not an isolated episode but a glimpse into the future. The country has already warmed by more than 1.5 °C compared with pre-industrial levels, while the wider Mediterranean is heating up around 20% faster than the global average. Unless greenhouse gas emissions are sharply reduced, summers like 2025 risk becoming the norm rather than the exception.
Spain’s record-breaking summer stands as both a national trauma and a global warning — a stark reminder of how rapidly the climate crisis is accelerating and how urgently action is needed to confront it.
