At least 2,700 people died in England and Wales as a result of heatwaves that swept across the region in May and June, according to a study released on Monday.
The research, conducted by experts from Imperial College London, the Met Office, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, combined weather observations, climate models and evidence from previous studies on excess mortality during extreme heat to estimate the death toll.
The United Kingdom and much of Europe experienced two exceptional heatwaves during the period, with temperatures in England reaching record monthly highs of 35.1°C in May and 37.7°C in June.
“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,” said Mark McCarthy, science manager of the Met Office’s climate attribution team.
The study estimates that around 550 people died during the heatwave between May 21 and 29, while a further 2,200 deaths were linked to the hotter spell between June 18 and 28 in England and Wales.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is expected to publish its official assessment of heat-related deaths in the coming weeks, based on registered death records.
Lea Berrang Ford, head of the UKHSA’s Centre for Climate and Health Security, said the findings underscore the growing health risks posed by rising temperatures.
“These models help illustrate the scale of risk associated with extreme heat and the growing threat climate change poses to our wellbeing,” she said.
The researchers said climate change played a significant role in intensifying the heatwaves, estimating that maximum daytime temperatures were 3°C to 4°C higher than they would have been without human-induced global warming.
The findings add to mounting concerns over the UK’s preparedness for increasingly frequent and severe heat events.
Last year, the Climate Change Committee (CCC), the government’s independent climate adviser, warned that the country was “not ready” to cope with the impacts of climate change.
In a report published in May, the committee estimated that 92 percent of British homes could become dangerously hot by 2050. It recommended that the government introduce maximum workplace temperature limits and invest in cooling measures, including air conditioning, in public buildings such as hospitals and schools.
AFP
