ARCHIVED - Deaths from extreme heat tripled on the Costa Blanca this year

Extreme weather on the Costa Blanca triggered a threefold increase in heat-related fatalities

This summer saw record-breaking temperatures and intense, frequent and enduring heatwaves with the mercury topping out at deadly heights of almost 50°C in parts of Spain.

In Alicante province, the season was the deadliest since 2017 with a threefold increase in the number of heat-related fatalities compared to 2021.

According to the Carlos III Health Institute's Daily Mortality Surveillance system, between May and September this year a total of 238 deaths were attributed to high temperatures in the province; almost triple those recorded in 2021 when 84 people lost their lives due to intense heat.

Seven people died from heat in May; 14 in June; 69 in July; 123 in August and 25 in September.

The majority of these fatalities (71%) occurred among people aged 85 and over, as soaring temperatures aggravated pathologies such as hypertension, diabetes and cardiac and respiratory insufficiencies.

In the 75 to 85 age group, 48 people succumbed to the extreme heat and there were 33 deaths in people aged between 45 and 64.

More women than men were affected by the unbearable conditions, with 127 lives lost compared to 111 deaths in males. 

Also read: Could this be the hottest October in Spanish history?

This summer, older people also suffered more hospitalisations due to loss of consciousness, syncope or heat stroke, and there were a significant number of hospital admissions due to food poisoning, attributed to the heat, and dehydration.

There were also dozens of admissions of young people who went running or exerted themselves in very hot weather and suffered rhabdomyolysis, i.e., muscle destruction that can damage the kidneys. The majority required intravenous fluids to normalise sodium and potassium levels.

Geriatricians continue to stress the need for hydration among the elderly in particular, "whose thirst centre no longer functions well and so must be forced to drink water when the heat is excessive".

The devastating effects of climate change are reflected in the 'Lancet Countdown' report, which includes the work of 99 experts from 51 institutions, including the World Health Organisation and the World Meteorological Organisation. It details how climate change affects the spread of diseases; all the pillars of food security and shoots up mortality figures. Heat-related deaths increased by 68% between 2017 and 2021 globally, compared to the period 2000-2004.

"Exposure to extreme heat directly affects health: it exacerbates underlying diseases and increases the risk of mortality in some of them. Excessive heat puts those who are older at particular risk.

"This particularly long and hot summer has had higher mortality amongst the elderly and also more morbidity, i.e., complications of previous illnesses," explained Dr. Antonia Mora Rufete, head of the Internal Medicine Service at the Hospital de Sant Joan in Alicante.

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