The Ministry of Health confirms 11 heatstroke deaths in Baleares between 2016 and 2025. Last year, 28 suspicions were investigated and five cases were confirmed, the worst record since 2019.
A total of 11 people have died in Baleares due to heatstroke in the last decade, according to epidemiological surveillance data from the Ministry of Health. The last death occurred in 2025: a 62-year-old British man who was participating in a group cycling outing. He went missing during the ride, was found unconscious by his companions, was admitted to ICU, and died three days later from multiple organ failure.
Five confirmed cases in 2025, the highest number since 2019
Last year, Public Health investigated 28 possible heatstrokes and ultimately confirmed five, the highest number since 2019. Of those five, one was fatal. The other four cases involved three men and one woman, three of whom were between 55 and 60 years old, and the fourth was over 70. All suffered heatstroke while engaging in leisure activities, such as mountain hiking or sailing.
The Ministry reminds that, upon each suspicion, it is investigated whether the episode meets the clinical and epidemiological criteria for this condition. Despite the frequent heatwaves affecting the archipelago every summer, confirmed cases remain relatively scarce, at least according to official figures.
More than half of those affected had no risk factors
The data shows that most confirmed heatstrokes do not necessarily affect particularly vulnerable individuals. More than half of the cases recorded in recent years involved individuals with no known individual risk factors, while around 30% did have some chronic illness.
Regarding the circumstances, 13 of the 46 confirmed heatstrokes since this record began (about 28%) were related to work activity. The rest are mainly associated with sports and leisure activities, such as mountain trials, cycling, popular races, prolonged sun exposure on beaches, or tourist activities. Cases have also been recorded that occurred in homes.
The year with the most heatstrokes was 2017
The historical evolution of official figures reflects that the number of investigated suspicions far exceeds the number of cases ultimately confirmed. According to the Public Health record, the year with the most heatstrokes was 2017, when 15 cases were confirmed after investigating 21 possible episodes. In 2019, nine cases were recorded, while in 2023 there were three, despite 25 suspicions being investigated, the highest volume of investigations in the entire historical series. In most years, confirmed cases barely fluctuated between one and five.
These figures contrast with those from the state system for Daily Mortality Monitoring (MoMo), which estimates deaths attributable to excessive temperature using statistical models. According to this system, Baleares recorded one heat-related death in 2023, eight in 2024, and four during 2025, ranking among the communities with the lowest mortality associated with high temperatures.
It is important to note that the two records are different. While Public Health counts only clinically confirmed heatstrokes investigated individually, the MoMo system estimates excess mortality associated with high temperatures using statistical models, including deaths where heat may have exacerbated pre-existing cardiovascular, respiratory, or other pathologies.
For residents in Mallorca, the main recommendation from health authorities is to avoid sun exposure during the hottest hours of the day, stay hydrated frequently, and not engage in intense physical exertion during heat peaks. In the event of symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, headache, or reddened and hot skin, immediate medical attention should be sought.
You may also like
