The ministry, revising its previous figure of 112 which it gave on September 1, said 59 deaths were directly heat-related while another 82 people had died from heat-related illnesses or existing conditions exacerbated by the sweltering conditions.

The ministry, keen to avoid the criticism levelled at French authorities after the French death toll reached around 15,000, added it believed that medical services had held up well during the heatwave.

Temperatures in some parts of the country hit 46 Celsius (114.8 Fahrenheit) during the first half of August.

Spain often endures similarly high summer temperatures but this year's heatwave saw the thermometer stay high for far longer than usual and night temperatures remained in the 30s Celsius in some areas.

Media reports have suggested a much higher toll, citing much higher death rates than usual for the time of year in several cities.

A Spanish association for the defence of patient rights and specialising in seeking legal redress for patients following medical error last month said up to 2,000 could have died after comparing the number of burials in major cities during the heatwave to the same period last year.

TERRA.WIRE