More than 2,700 deaths in UK linked to May, June heatwaves
New research links over 2,700 deaths in England and Wales to extreme heatwaves that occurred in May and June. Scientists attribute the intensity of these events to climate change, noting that temperatures were significantly higher than they would have been otherwise.
Why it matters
The findings highlight the increasing public health risks posed by climate change and the urgent need for infrastructure adaptation in the UK.
The UK has experienced two record heatwaves this year, with temperatures in England reaching 35.1C in May and 37.7C in June.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info play video play video Video Duration 01 minutes 43 seconds play-arrow 01:43 UK’s hottest June: Red alerts, sleepless nights and a continent on the boil
More than 2,700 deaths across England and Wales have been linked to unprecedented heatwaves in the United Kingdom in May and June, according to new research.
There were 550 heat-related deaths between May 21 and 29, and nearly 2,200 people died between June 18 and 28, scientists estimated in the study published on Monday.
Researchers 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 deaths during the extreme weather to arrive at their estimate.
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