Britain’s scorching May and June heatwaves are thought to have claimed more than 2,700 lives, with almost half of those deaths fuelled by climate change.
A new study estimates that 550 people died during the exceptionally warm spell at the end of May, with a further 2,200 fatalities linked to the 10–day heatwave in June.
Researchers concluded that 42 per cent of the deaths were directly attributable to the extra heat caused by human–induced global warming.
They warned that the UK now experiences ‘dangerously hot summers’ that claim thousands of lives.
And unless something is urgently done to curb climate change, things are only expected to get worse.
Dr Claire Barnes, a research associate in Extreme Weather and Climate Change at Imperial College London, said: ‘Every time we have a heatwave, our news is filled with reporters at swimming pools, images of people eating ice cream and sunbathers on beaches.
‘We all love the sun, but people need to be aware that we are now seeing dangerous climate–change fuelled heat that is claiming lives, disrupting schools and hospitals and shutting down transport and infrastructure.
‘It’s time we woke up to the fact that we now live in a country with dangerously hot summers.’
A daily estimate of heat–related deaths for each heatwave. The red line shows the estimated deaths, while the purple line shows what the scenario could have been without climate change
These maps show average changes in temperature across England throughout May and June, with the south east experiencing the greatest change
For the study, a team that also included the Met Office and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) analysed the two recent heat spikes.
Both shattered temperature records because of the influence of climate change.
The UK’s May record was broken when temperatures reached 35.1°C in west London, before three consecutive days of record–breaking heat in June culminated in highs exceeding 37°C in East Anglia.
Such temperatures would be considered extreme even at the height of summer, when July and August usually bring the UK’s hottest weather.
The scientists combined historical mortality records with statistical models to estimate the death toll from each heatwave, calculating that the extreme heat caused more than 2,700 excess deaths.
This is because soaring temperatures place intense strain on the body’s organs, which can prove fatal.
As body temperature rises, more blood is diverted to the skin to help cool the body, increasing the workload on the heart.
Dehydration also thickens the blood, raising the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Researchers concluded that 42 per cent of the deaths were directly attributable to the extra heat caused by human–induced global warming
In June, the Met Office issued extreme heat warnings for large swathes of the UK. Experts predict 2,200 people died as a result of heat during the month
The researchers warned that daytime maximum temperatures across England and Wales are now roughly 3–4°C hotter than they would have been without human–induced climate change.
Without this extra warming, temperatures of this severity would have been far less likely to occur.
Dr. Malcolm Mistry, Assistant Professor in Climate and Geo–spatial Modelling at LSHTM, said: ‘We are still in the first half of summer in the UK and large parts of England and Wales have already experienced two record–breaking heatwaves, in May and June, triggering extreme heat–health alerts across England.
‘With climate change driven by human activity making summer heatwaves more frequent and more intense, these spikes of extreme hot weather are rapidly evolving into a major health risk for people in the UK.
‘It is vital that action on adapting Britain’s homes, workplaces, and critical infrastructure to extreme heat outpaces these health risks, especially if we are to protect those most vulnerable to its impacts, such as older people, babies, and children.’
While southern England saw the highest temperatures, estimates suggest the death rate was similar in the Midlands.
With this region less frequently exposed to extreme heat, it suggests residents there are more vulnerable to the impacts.
Gareth Redmond–King, Head of International Programme at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said: ‘More than a thousand people died in the last two heatwaves as a result of the additional heat added by climate change, caused by the burning of oil and gas.
Soaring temperatures place intense strain on the body’s organs, which can prove fatal. Pictured: Commuters using electric fans on London’s underground network
‘Temperatures simply wouldn’t have been as high and whilst it’s particularly the vulnerable – the elderly, the very young, and less well–off who are least able to cope with the extremes that climate change brings, with NHS hospitals having to cut services, this poses a growing risk to everyone.
‘In the here and now, air conditioning for hospitals and schools is a costly yet crucial next step, but the only way to halt climate change, and stop our summers getting hotter and hotter, and more and more deadly is to reach net zero emissions and bring balance back to the climate.’
This week, it emerged that more than 3,000 people a day were treated in corridors in June as heatwaves placed additional stress on the health service.
Officials said the data shows that ‘summer is now putting the NHS under just as much pressure as winter’.
Professor Frankie Swords, NHS national medical director, revealed Mondays have been particularly busy for emergency departments amid weekend heatwaves and the World Cup.
Bea Taylor, fellow at think tank Nuffield Trust, said there is ‘no doubt’ that heatwaves are putting additional strain on the health service.
‘The health service is used to dealing with the extra pressure that winter brings each year, but climate change means hospitals are now facing multiple shocks throughout the summer months too,’ she said.
