MADRID (Xinhua) -- Spain's health ministry said Wednesday that 679 people died in the first eight days (July 10-17) of the second heat wave that hit the country this summer.

The Carlos III Health Institute said 169 deaths occurred on July 17 alone.

According to the institute, 430 of the 679 victims were people aged 85 and over, 159 were between 75 and 84 years old, and 58 were between 65 and 74 years old.

The second heat wave of the summer ended with slightly lower temperatures on Tuesday, but temperatures are expected to top 40 degrees Celsius again in most parts of the country before the weekend.

The institute said that the first heat wave in 2022 occurred from June 11 to 17 and caused 829 deaths. As a result, 1,508 people have died in the country this summer due to the extreme heat.