Spain to open network of climate shelters by next summer

Spain will create a national network of climate shelters in public buildings by next summer to provide people with shelter from the sweltering heat, the Prime Minister has announced.

Pedro Sánchez announced the move on Wednesday at a conference in Madrid setting out a plan to combat the effects of climate change.

“Devastating droughts and heatwaves are no longer uncommon. Some summers we face not a single wave but a long heatwave from June to August. This is now the new normal,” he said.

Spain experienced its hottest summer in 2025 and three heat waves. According to the National Weather Service (AEMET), a 16-day heat wave in August resulted in temperatures exceeding 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).

Sanchez said everyone will have access to cool spaces as part of a national network of shelters.

He added that the government would provide shelter funding “in areas where shelter is most needed and where people are most affected by hot weather”.

The rollout will complement existing networks already established by regional governments such as Catalonia, the Basque Country and Murcia.

In Barcelona, ​​the capital of Catalonia, there are already around 400 climate shelters in buildings such as libraries, museums, sports facilities and shopping malls.

The air-conditioned spaces, which often come with seating and free water, are designed to provide people with a place to escape the heat, especially those with health conditions, the elderly, infants and those with limited resources.

Sánchez also announced that the government would fund flood protection schemes in small towns, with €20m (£18m; $24m) also earmarked for fire protection schemes in small towns as part of a national deal to tackle climate change.

The set of proposals has not yet been submitted to the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Spain’s parliament. Sanchez asked other political groups to contribute to the deal, saying it was “not an electoral weapon… but a shield for Spain”.

According to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, heat waves are becoming more common and more intense due to human-caused climate change.

The Spanish Ministry of Health estimates that more than 3,800 people have died in hot weather this summer in Spain, an 88% increase from 2024. ministry of health.

In 2025, Spain also experienced devastating wildfire seasonthe burned area exceeded 400,000 hectares.