Spain is expanding its network of climate shelters. These spaces are typically equipped with air conditioning, seating, and free water, and are designed to protect people who lack the resources at home to cope with high temperatures. This was reported by Euronews, according to UNN.
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Last year, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that a number of government buildings would be used as shelters for the population from increasingly intense heatwaves.
The nationwide network is based on programs already implemented by regional governments, particularly in Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Murcia. Barcelona already has 400 climate shelters in public buildings: libraries, museums, sports centers, and shopping malls.
These spaces, usually equipped with air conditioning, seating, and free water, are intended to protect people who do not have the resources at home to combat high temperatures—the elderly, infants, and individuals with chronic illnesses.
Spain intensified the development of climate shelters following last year's record-hot summer, when a 16-day heatwave in August pushed temperatures to a deadly 45°C. In 2025, the country recorded over 150,000 heat-related deaths, the second-highest figure in history. More than 10,000 of these deaths were linked to prolonged exposure to moderately high temperatures, which experts warn have a cumulative effect even in the absence of official heat warnings.
One tragedy that made headlines was the death of 51-year-old street cleaner Montse Aguilar in Barcelona. The woman collapsed right on the street after an exhausting shift in 35°C temperatures while the city was under a high-level alert, and subsequently died from the effects of the heat. This sparked protests: hundreds of her colleagues and concerned citizens took to the streets, demanding better protection for outdoor workers from the authorities.
Heat-related mortality is not just a problem for Spain. Europe is one of the fastest-warming continents in the world, and extreme temperatures are already reaching even northern countries with traditionally cool climates.
For example, last year Finland experienced three consecutive weeks of 30°C temperatures, which strained hospitals and forced the temporary conversion of an ice rink in the north of the country into a climate shelter. Heatwaves also swept across Italy, France, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, as Europe experienced its third-hottest year on record.
According to the Lancet Countdown Europe report, approximately 62,000 heat-related deaths occurred in Europe in 2024.