A study estimates that more than 2,700 people in England and Wales die as a result of the May and June heatwaves, using weather observations and climate models alongside evidence on “excess mortality” during extreme heat. The researchers—citing involvement from Imperial College London, the Met Office and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine—assess how the exceptional temperatures affected public health. Media reports say the analysis indicates a substantial share of these deaths is connected to climate change, with figures presented around just over two-fifths (or nearly half) of the total being attributable to warming driven by human activity.
The reports also describe the heatwaves as highly unusual, with England recording monthly temperature records of 35.1°C in May and 37.7°C in June. Additional coverage highlights that climate experts issue further warnings that more extreme heat is likely in the future. Overall, the sources agree on the timing (May and June), the geography (England and Wales), the headline estimate of over 2,700 deaths, and the use of excess-mortality methods to connect heat exposure to mortality impacts.
