A study released Monday found that at least 2,700 people died in England and Wales because of heatwaves in May and June.
Researchers from Imperial College London, the Met Office, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine based their estimate on weather data, climate models, and studies of excess deaths during heatwaves.
The UK and much of Europe faced two record-breaking heatwaves in May and June. In England, temperatures reached new monthly highs of 35.1°C and 37.7°C.
“They were extreme heatwaves for the UK, and for all parts of western Europe, and they’re particularly exceptional for the timing and how early in the year they occurred,” Mark McCarthy, science manager of the Met’s climate attribution team, was quoted as saying in the study.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) plans to release its official estimate of heat-related deaths soon, using death records from recent heatwaves.
Lea Berrang Ford, head of UKHSA’s Centre for Climate and Health Security, said the models in the study released Monday “help illustrate the scale of risk associated with extreme heat and the growing threat climate change poses to our wellbeing.”
The study estimates that about 550 people died from the heat between 21 and 29 May, and nearly 2,200 died between 18 and 28 June in England and Wales.
The authors emphasise the role of climate change, which is making heatwaves more intense and frequent.
They estimate that maximum daytime temperatures were 3°C to 4°C higher than they would have been without global warming.
The Climate Change Committee (CCC), the body responsible for advising the government on climate change, warned last year that the UK was “not ready” to deal with the consequences of climate change.
In a report published in May, it estimated that 92 percent of British homes could be too hot by 2050, and recommended that the government set maximum temperature limits in the workplace, as well as invest in air conditioning for public buildings such as hospitals and schools.
