Heatwaves may have killed over 2,00 in England, Wales — report 

At least 2,700 people may have died from heat-related causes after two severe heatwaves swept through England and Wales in May and June, a new study has suggested.

Researchers from Imperial College London, the UK Met Office and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine produced the estimate using temperature records, climate models and existing data on deaths linked to extreme heat.

The study estimated that about 550 deaths occurred during the first heatwave between May 21 and 29.

Nearly 2,200 additional deaths were linked to the second and more intense spell of hot weather recorded between June 18 and 28.

England set new monthly temperature records during both periods, reaching 35.1 degrees Celsius in May and 37.7 degrees Celsius in June.

Scientists described the heatwaves as particularly dangerous because they arrived unusually early in the year, giving people and public services less time to adjust to the extreme conditions.

Mark McCarthy of the Met Office’s climate attribution team said the timing and intensity of the heat made the events exceptional for Britain and other parts of western Europe.

The figures remain estimates rather than confirmed deaths. The UK Health Security Agency is expected to publish an official assessment after examining registered deaths recorded during the heatwaves.

Researchers estimated that about 42 per cent of the suspected deaths were associated with additional heat caused by human-driven climate change.

The study found that daytime temperatures during the two heatwaves were between three and four degrees Celsius higher than they would likely have been without global warming.

Experts said the findings demonstrated how rising global temperatures were making heatwaves more frequent, more intense and increasingly dangerous to public health.

Older people, individuals with underlying medical conditions and those living in poorly ventilated homes are considered particularly vulnerable during periods of extreme heat.