Nearly five people a day are estimated to have died because of extreme heat in Alicante province during the first 20 days of July, according to official mortality monitoring data.
The Daily Mortality Monitoring System, known as MoMo, attributes 98 deaths in the province to excessive temperatures between July 1 and 20—an average of 4.9 every day.
Alicante has borne the brunt of the heat emergency in the Valencian Community, accounting for more than 54% of the region’s estimated 181 temperature-related deaths during the period.
The darkest days came between July 6 and 12, when 55 deaths were attributed to the heat in Alicante province alone.
July 10 was the deadliest day, with 13 estimated fatalities. Another 11 were recorded on July 11, while both July 9 and 12 saw ten deaths. Together, those four days accounted for 44 fatalities—almost 45% of Alicante’s entire 20-day total.
There was little respite during the following week. A further 37 heat-attributable deaths were estimated between July 13 and 19, including nine on July 13, eight on July 14 and six on July 15.
Elderly Bearing the Brunt
Older residents have suffered the greatest impact. Of Alicante’s 98 estimated deaths, around 84 involved people aged over 65, including approximately 60 victims aged 85 or above.
Across the Valencian Community, heat-related mortality rose sharply from ten deaths during the first five days of July to 104 between July 6 and 12. A further 62 were attributed to high temperatures during the following week, followed by another five on July 20.
The regional peak also came on July 10, when 22 deaths were attributed to excessive heat. There were an estimated 20 deaths on July 9, 19 on July 11 and 17 on July 12.
The figures point to a significant worsening compared with last summer. Alicante recorded an estimated 70 heat-attributable deaths during the first 20 days of July 2025, compared with 98 this year—an increase of 40%.
Only 2015 produced a higher provincial toll for the same period, with approximately 106 deaths.
MoMo figures are statistical estimates rather than a count of death certificates specifically recording heatstroke. The system compares observed mortality with expected deaths and models the number attributable to unusually high temperatures. Recent figures can be revised as further registrations are received.
