Extreme heat leaves 370 associated deaths in Barcelona in one year

Most of these deaths are not caused by direct heatstroke, but by the worsening of pre-existing illnesses after several consecutive days of extreme temperatures. Heat particularly punishes those with chronic conditions, those who live alone, sleep badly at night or cannot protect themselves well during the harshest hours.

The figure represents a clear increase from the previous year, when 240 heat-related deaths were recorded. In 2022, the worst year of the last decade, the city reached around 530. In 2023 there were 300, confirming a worrying trend in a context of increasingly long, hot and difficult-to-manage summers.

The impact is not shared equally. Women and people over 75 appear as the groups most affected. Of the 370 people who died last year, 307 were women and 297 were over 75, according to data collected by the Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona.

Vulnerability has much to do with age, loneliness and housing conditions. Sleeping in flats that retain heat, living without air conditioning, having reduced mobility or lacking a nearby support network can turn a heatwave into a real risk to life.

The city is also paying close attention to people who work outdoors. After serious episodes in previous summers, the City Council has reinforced measures for municipal workers and employees of subcontracted companies, such as cleaning, gardening and street-lighting staff.

Measures include the distribution of 1,400 anti-heatstroke wristbands. These devices give audible signals, lights or vibrations when they detect changes in body temperature, so that the worker can stop, rest and avoid a risky situation.

The council has also made changes to uniforms, introduced specific training, adjusted schedules, provided more frequent breaks and taken measures to prevent some employees from working alone on days of extreme heat. The idea is to accept that heatwaves are no longer exceptional, but a structural part of the urban summer.

Barcelona has also expanded its network of climate shelters. The city now has around 500 places to take refuge from heat, including libraries, museums, civic centres, parks, gardens, school playgrounds and inner-block spaces. This year the campaign will be extended until 15 September.

According to the City Council, 91% of residents will have a climate shelter less than a 10-minute walk away and 77% will have one less than five minutes away. The measure seeks to ensure that protection from heat does not depend only on having resources at home, but also on having accessible spaces in the neighbourhood.

Shade will be another key element. Barcelona plans to create 40,000 square metres of shade with an investment of €11 million, and has doubled the installation of new shaded spaces in playgrounds, streets and school courtyards. In total, the city aims to exceed 200 new shade spaces by 2027.

Other everyday resources are also being reinforced, such as water-play spaces for children and more than 1,740 drinking fountains, geolocated in the Fonts BCN application. They are small measures separately, but important when heat builds up for days and streets become difficult places to inhabit.

The rise in heat-related deaths leaves Barcelona with an uncomfortable conclusion: adapting is no longer a future option, but a present urgency. The city will have to continue gaining shade, shelters and local care if it wants summer not to become a threat to those who live with the least protection.