Heatwave death in Spain

ELECTRICITY demand reached record heights as Spaniards switched on fans and air conditioners to cope with a heat wave.

A 48-year-old man who died in Ciudad Real, south of Madrid, after bicycling the day before was thought to be the first victim of the heat wave this year.

Demand for electricity surged to 36,700 megawatts in the afternoon, as temperatures in central and southern Spain neared 40°C (104F).