Hottest Summer Ever Recorded in Spain: Relentless Heatwaves, Record Temperatures, and Devastating Wildfires

A Summer Written in Heat

Spain lived through its hottest summer since records began in 1961. The national weather agency AEMET confirmed that from June 1 to August 31, the country averaged 24.2°C (75.5°F) . That figure breaks the previous record of 24.1°C set only three years ago, in 2022.

Compared to the 1991-2020 baseline, this summer was 2.1°C hotter. The heat was relentless. Three major heatwaves stretched across 36 days, meaning one out of every three days was officially classified as a heatwave.

Scorching Extremes

The most punishing temperatures arrived in August. On the 17th, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain registered 45.8°C (119.3°F) , the peak of what AEMET called the most intense August heatwave on record. In Galicia, in Spain’s northwest, readings were up to 3°C above the seasonal norm.

Nine of the ten hottest summers in Spain have now occurred in the 21st century. “These summers of 2022 and 2025 are a trailer - or spoiler - for what could happen in the middle of the century," said Ruben del Campo, spokesperson for AEMET. “One in every three days this summer we have been under a heatwave."

A Mediterranean Under Pressure

The heat gripping Spain is part of a wider trend. The Mediterranean region is warming 20% faster than the global average, according to United Nations data. Europe as a whole is heating at twice the global rate since the 1980s, reports the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

The summer of 2024 was the hottest ever recorded in the Northern Hemisphere. The summer of 2025 became the United Kingdom’s warmest since record-keeping began in 1884. Spain’s experience stands within this broader pattern of accelerating change.

Fire on the Land

The heat and drought turned Spain’s countryside into fuel. A record 382,000 hectares (944,000 acres) burned, surpassing the devastation of 2022. The European Forest Fire Information System reported that across the EU, flames consumed 1.03 million hectares (nearly 4,000 square miles) during the season.

In Galicia, where conditions were driest, fires spread with devastating speed. Smoke hung over valleys, hillsides glowed red at night, and entire communities watched the flames cut across farmland and woodland alike.

Warnings for the Future

For meteorologists, the message is stark. “Spain will need to adapt to hotter summers while continuing to contribute to the global effort to curb climate change by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases," said del Campo.