At least 2,700 people died in England and Wales as a result of heatwaves that struck in May and June, according to a study released today.
Experts from Imperial College London, the Met Office, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine used weather data, climate models, and studies on excess mortality during heatwaves to arrive at their estimate, reports AFP.
The UK and most of Europe experienced two unprecedented heatwaves in May and June, with monthly records set at 35.1°C and 37.7°C, respectively, in England.
“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) will publish its official estimate of heat-related deaths in the coming weeks, based on death records from recent heatwaves.
The models in the study released today “help illustrate the scale of risk associated with extreme heat and the growing threat climate change poses to our wellbeing,” said Lea Berrang Ford, head of UKHSA’s Centre for Climate and Health Security.
The study estimates that around 550 people died as a result of the heat between 21 and 29 May, and nearly 2,200 died between June 18 and 28 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.
