Overview
- Researchers from Imperial College London, the Met Office and LSHTM estimate about 2,700 excess deaths across England and Wales during two early-season heatwaves, with roughly 550 deaths between May 21–29 and about 2,200 between June 18–28.
- The team attributes around 42% of those deaths to the extra heat added by human-caused warming and finds peak daytime temperatures were roughly 3–4°C higher than they would have been without that warming.
- The late‑June spike coincided with a Europe-wide mortality surge that EuroMOMO reported as more than 10,000 excess deaths across 27 countries in the week of June 22–28, mostly among people aged 65 and over.
- Hospitals declared critical incidents, ambulance services faced record demand and thousands were treated in corridors, showing acute strain on health services and infrastructure during the heat episodes.
- Scientists and advisers warn the UK is underprepared, the UKHSA will publish official interim mortality analysis in the coming weeks, and experts urge faster adaptation of homes, hospitals and workplaces alongside deeper emissions cuts.