Over 2,700 may have died due to England heatwaves: researchers

LONDON: At least 2,700 people could have died in England and Wales as a result of heatwaves that struck in May and June, according to a study released Monday.

Experts from Imperial College London, the Met Office and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine used weather data, climate models and studies on excess mortality during heatwaves to arrive at their estimate.

“More than 2,700 people are thought to have died from heat-related causes during the May and June heatwaves in England and Wales,” a statement said.

“Of those, it’s estimated that 42% died as a result of the extra heat caused by human-induced warming,” it added.

The UK and most of Europe experienced two unprecedented heatwaves in May and June, with monthly records set at 35.1°C and 37.7°C, respectively, in England.

“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,” Mark McCarthy, science manager of the Met’s climate attribution team, was quoted as saying in the study.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will publish its official estimate of heat-related deaths in the coming weeks, based on death records from recent heatwaves.

The study’s models “while they are not a measure of observed mortality, they help illustrate the scale of risk associated with extreme heat and the growing threat climate change poses to our wellbeing,” said Lea Berrang Ford, head of UKHSA’s Centre for Climate and Health Security.

The study estimates that around 550 people died as a result of the heat between May 21 and 29, and nearly 2,200 died between June 18 and 28 in England and Wales.

The authors emphasise the role of climate change, which is making heatwaves more intense and frequent.

They estimate that maximum daytime temperatures were 3°C to 4°C higher than they would have been without global warming.

The Climate Change Committee (CCC), the body responsible for advising the government on climate change, warned last year the UK was “not ready” to deal with the consequences of climate change.

In a report published in May, it estimated 92 percent of British homes could be too hot by 2050, and recommended the government set maximum temperature limits in the workplace, as well as investing in air conditioning for public buildings such as hospitals and schools.