Thousands may have died in UK’s exceptional May and June heatwaves
More than 2,700 people may have died from heat-related causes in the UK during the exceptionally hot weather between May and June, experts estimate.
The figure, compiled by a team from Imperial College London, the Met Office and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, is based on what is known about the dangers of extreme heat.
Most deaths are said to occur during the June heat wave hottest June in history In England, temperatures reached 37.7C (99.9F) in Lingwood, Norfolk, breaking the previous high of 35.6C (96F), set in 1957.
Rare red heat alarm It was issued for parts of England and Wales at the time and warned even healthy people of the serious risk to life.
silent killer
Meanwhile, May temperatures reached a UK high of 35.1C at Kew Gardens on 26 May; this was a significant increase over the previous high of 32.8C, set in 1922 and equaled in 1944.
Experts say both heat waves were caused by a “heat dome” – a stagnant area of high pressure that traps warm air over the region.
Researchers say the heat dome is getting worse due to human-caused climate change. This has warmed the planet by about 1.4 degrees since pre-industrial times, and scientists believe this adds 3 to 4 degrees to the maximum temperatures recorded in May and June.
Warm tropical nights added to the sweltering conditions provided little respite.
Many homes in the UK are not built to cope, leaving people vulnerable to prolonged high temperatures.
Heat places a tremendous physical strain on the body, made worse when you become dehydrated, your heart pumps harder and faster to cool you down.
Babies and the elderly are among those most at risk of harm, along with existing health problems.
It can lead to more heart attacks, strokes, and other potentially fatal emergencies.
Intense heat can affect anyone, including fit and healthy people, and has been called the ‘silent killer’ because early symptoms are easily missed.
When hot weather is very wet or humid, as in June, it is more difficult for the body to cool down through sweating.
[BBC]
Heat waves may become more frequent
The study uses death records from previous years to model or predict how many deaths there might be in May and June 2026.
It makes assumptions about how badly people are affected by the heat, so the findings may not come true.
One of the researchers, Dr. D., is an expert on extreme weather and climate change at Imperial College London. Clair Barnes said: “If we put out these forecasts and highlight to people how dangerous this is, and they change their behavior when the next heatwave happens and our forecasts are high, I will be very excited.
“These are big numbers and we don’t want to see that many people dying.”
Experts thought that 2025 would be a very bad year in terms of heat-related deaths, but the number of deaths was as follows: much lower than expected – roughly half of the estimated 3,039.
The UKHSA said heat-related health warnings, as well as measures taken across the NHS and the care system, were likely to reduce the impact.
Some researchers believe that, at the current rate, heat-related deaths in some parts of Northern Europe could begin to rival cold-related deaths within a few decades; But they emphasize that the outcome depends largely on how quickly the world reduces climate emissions and how well countries adapt.
As greenhouse gas emissions increase, heat waves are expected to become more frequent, more intense and longer lasting.
