Spain’s heatwaves cause highest energy consumption since 2008, Iberia to schedule special eclipse flight, summer 2026 on track to be hottest in history and more news from Spain this Wednesday August 5th.
Spain’s heatwaves cause highest energy consumption since 2008
The historic heatwaves of July have not only broken temperature records, but they have also sent electricity consumption soaring.
According to Spain’s State Meteorological Agency Aemet, July was the hottest month in Spain since 1961, driving national electricity demand to its second-highest level on record since 2007.
The highest amount was recorded in January 2008, just before the start of the financial crisis, according to data from Red Eléctrica.
Elecrticity demand in July stood at 25,144 GWh, this was 6.9 percent higher than in the same month of 2025 and just 2.3 percent lower than the 25,742 GWh recorded 18 years ago in January 2008.
Iberia to schedule special eclipse flight
Spanish national airline Iberia is to organise a special flight on August 12th to coincide with the total solar eclipse, which will be seen from much of north and central part of the country.
The flight will depart from Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport at 6:45pm and will broadcast the event live via its social media channels.
The route is designed to maximise viewing conditions for the eclipse over the province of Palencia. Unfortunately, however, it will not be open for just any passengers.
It will be reserved for a particular group of researchers from the Shelios project, a scientific and educational initiative headed up by astronomer Miquel Serra-Ricart, scientific director of ‘Light Bridges’ and researcher at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands.
Spain registers 22.5 million employed workers for first time
Spain’s Social Security system registered a new employment record in July, with 22,508,065 contributors after 41,727 new members were added.
At the same time, however, unemployment rose by 19,517 people, and although the total number of unemployed, at 2,311,499, is the lowest figure since 2007, the increase breaks the usual trend of July being one of those months in which unemployment decreases.
The government attributes part of the increase in unemployment to the recent mass migrant regularisation process.
READ MORE: Spain’s migrant amnesty leads to quick rise in tax-paying workers
Summer 2026 proving to be hottest in history in Spain
There’s still at least a month to go before the end of the summer, but so far it’s the hottest since records began in 1961, the Minister for Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen has confirmed.
The temperatures in June and July have risen by one degree compared to the hottest years in 2022 and 2025, and the average of 24.5C, exceeded the normal average between 1991 and 2020 by three degrees.
Not only this, but it is also the driest summer on record with only 17 l/m2 of accumulated rainfall, below the other driest years in 1994, 2005 and 2016.
