A two-year-old girl has died from heatstroke in northwestern Spain after being accidentally left in her father’s car during an unusually hot spell that could push temperatures in some areas to 38°C (100°F).
The child, who has not been named, went into cardiac arrest on Wednesday afternoon after spending several hours inside the vehicle in the Galician town of Brión. Her father had forgotten to take her to nursery.
According to media reports, the man had driven his older child to school that morning and planned to drop the toddler off at nursery, but got distracted by a phone call. Instead of going to the nursery, he went to work, leaving the child in the car.
The alarm was raised that afternoon when the girl’s mother went to pick her up from the nursery at 3pm and was told she hadn’t been dropped off that morning. Realizing what had happened, the parents called emergency services. The girl was taken to a health center in the nearby town of Bertamiráns, where she was pronounced dead.
Police are investigating the incident, and the family is receiving psychological support.
The Brión town council declared two days of official mourning for the girl and said a minute’s silence would be held in her memory on Friday.
“We would like to offer our deepest condolences and all our support to the family of the little girl who lost her life in Brión yesterday, as well as to all her friends. We are making all municipal resources available to them during these difficult times,” the council said. “May she rest in peace.”
Spain has been bracing for the kind of heat more commonly seen in midsummer. The state meteorological office, Aemet, said the “exceptionally high temperatures” could reach 36–38°C in some southern parts of the country.
“Throughout May, we recorded a long period of below-normal temperatures,” it said. “Now we have the complete opposite: a period of very high temperatures for this time of year across most of the country. In fact, some days could break heat records.”
Aemet said the hot spell, which doesn’t meet the technical criteria to be declared a heatwave, will likely last until the middle of next week.
Spain, one of the European countries most affected by the climate emergency, has seen a growing number of heatwaves and a sharp increase in large forest fires in recent years.
A 2022 Aemet study found that the arrival of 30°C temperatures across Spain and the Balearic Islands had come, on average, 20–40 days earlier over the previous 71 years.
“The summer is eating up the spring,” Rubén del Campo, an Aemet spokesperson, told El País at the time. “What’s happening fits perfectly with a situation where you have a warmer planet,” he said, adding that rising temperatures were a “direct and clear consequence of climate change… The climate in Spain isn’t what we used to know. It’s become more extreme.”
Spain recorded its highest ever temperature in August 2021, when the mercury in the Andalusian town of La Rambla, near Córdoba, reached 47.6°C.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about the tragic incident of a twoyearold girl being left in a hot car in Spain written in a natural clear tone with direct answers
General Questions
Q What happened to the twoyearold girl in Spain
A She was accidentally left inside a locked car by her father during extreme heat She was found hours later and died from heatstroke
Q Where did this happen in Spain
A The incident occurred in the town of Viladecans near Barcelona in the Catalonia region
Q Was this a deliberate act or an accident
A Authorities believe it was a tragic accident The father reportedly forgot the child was in the car possibly due to a change in routine or fatigue
Q How hot was it outside when this happened
A Temperatures in the area were extremely high reaching around 39C that day
Causes and Prevention
Q How can a parent forget a child in a car
A It often happens due to forgotten baby syndrome A change in routine stress lack of sleep or a distracted mind can cause the brain to suppress the memory of the child in the back seat
Q How fast can a car heat up on a hot day
A Very fast Even on a mild 22C day a cars interior can reach 47C within an hour On a 35C day it can hit 50C in just 20 minutes
Q Is cracking the windows enough to keep a car cool
A No Cracking windows does almost nothing to lower the inside temperature during extreme heat The greenhouse effect still makes the car dangerously hot
Q What are the first signs of heatstroke in a child
A Signs include red hot and dry skin rapid breathing confusion dizziness vomiting and loss of consciousness In a baby you might see excessive fussiness or lethargy
Safety Tips and Practical Advice
Q What can I do to make sure I never leave my child in the car
A Try these simple habits
