BBC News Europe

When the polls closed this evening Alberto Núñez Feijóo's conservative Popular Party looked on course for a big win.

It was always clear they'd struggle to reach 176 seats to secure an absolute majority in parliament, unless they reached a deal with the far-right Vox party.

But with more than 95% of the results counted, they're well short of that, even with the far right. So far they've only got to 169 seats.

The Socialist vote has held up, but they're well behind their rivals, with 153 seats if you take in the seats won by left-wing alliance Sumar.

The conservatives will be celebrating tonight - because they've won. But there's no clear way forward towards a majority at the moment.

Despite turnout easing slightly compared to 2019, a record almost 2.5 million Spaniards have already voted by mail in this unprecedented July election.

That isn't much of a surprise when you consider as many as 10 million people are already taking their summer holiday.

One image of a man in snorkel and flippers casting his ballot has already gone viral and others are just taking their beach gear as part of their voting experience.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

Many voters got up early to hit the polling station before hitting the beach near Huelva on the south-west coast.

Not everyone's happy with the searing heat in the polling stations. One official at a school in Barcelona complained that if the prime minister had tried voting there they might have had air conditioning.

But Carmela in Valencia on the east coast told El Mundo she couldn't see the problem: "If you're on holiday, vote by mail and if not, do what I'm doing: go and vote and then quietly enjoy the rest of your Sunday."