Heatwave: 284 excess deaths during alert

Mainland Portugal recorded 284 deaths due to excess during the hot weather alert period, which began on June 28, mostly among people aged 85 or over, the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) revealed to Lusa this Monday.

According to preliminary data from the DGS, the 284 excess deaths occurred between June 28 and the first days of July and more than 70% of the excess mortality occurred in the age group aged 85 or over.

The DGS also indicates that there was no excess mortality among those under 70 years of age.

In this Monday's update, the Ícaro index (which estimates the impact of air temperatures on mortality) indicates that “no significant impact of temperature on mortality is expected” for the next three days, “with the exception of the Alentejo region , so it is possible that there will be a slight upward revision of excess mortality values”.

The DGS, however, stated that the impact of this episode of hot weather on excess mortality was similar to that observed in the last two years.

In 2024, between 22 July and 4 August, 715 excess deaths were recorded, corresponding to a relative excess of 19% more than expected. In the previous year, from 21 to 27 August 2023, 384 excess deaths were recorded, a relative excess of 20% more than expected.

Anticipating the heat wave that would occur, the Directorate-General for Health, in accordance with the most up-to-date information from IPMA and other partners, issued on June 25, 2025, on its different platforms, several recommendations to the population for protection against the heat.

The DGS states that it will continue to monitor the situation regularly, updating the information whenever necessary.

Around a third of the 90 meteorological stations in mainland Portugal exceeded or equalled their previous historical maximum temperatures for the month during the last weekend of June, according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).

A heatwave began on 27 June and lasted until the first days of July. In June, mainland Portugal recorded two heatwaves, the first of which was recorded between 15 and 20 June in 12 stations.

The 29th was the hottest day of the month with an average maximum temperature of 38.5°C (deviation from the monthly average of +11.8°C) and an average minimum temperature of 28.7°C (deviation from the monthly average of +8.4°C).