Lisbon: Portuguese authorities said on Saturday that 1,331 people had died as a result of an intense heatwave that gripped the country between July 27 and August 15, marking a 25 percent increase in mortality during that period.

According to Jordan News Agency, the age group most affected was those over 75, as soaring temperatures worsened chronic conditions, particularly cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

The northern and central regions, along with southern Alentejo, recorded the highest rates of heat-related deaths in Portugal.