{"id":204156,"date":"2026-07-12T23:26:07","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T23:26:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tahrir2day.com\/news\/2026\/07\/12\/thousands-may-have-died-in-uks-exceptional-may-and-june-heatwaves\/"},"modified":"2026-07-12T23:26:07","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T23:26:07","slug":"thousands-may-have-died-in-uks-exceptional-may-and-june-heatwaves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tahrir2day.com\/news\/2026\/07\/12\/thousands-may-have-died-in-uks-exceptional-may-and-june-heatwaves\/","title":{"rendered":"Thousands may have died in UK’s exceptional May and June heatwaves"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

More than 2,700 people may have died from heat-related causes during the UK’s exceptionally hot weather in May and June, experts’ estimates suggest. <\/b><\/p>\n

The figure, from a team at Imperial College London, the Met Office and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, is based on what’s known about the dangers of extreme heat. <\/p>\n

Most deaths will have occurred in the June heatwave, they say – the warmest June on record in England, when temperatures hit 37.7C (99.9F) at Lingwood, Norfolk, smashing the previous high of 35.6C (96F) set in 1957.<\/p>\n

A rare red heat alert, external<\/span> was issued for parts of England and Wales at the time, warning even healthy people of the significant risk to life. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

May temperatures, meanwhile, hit a new UK high of 35.1C at Kew Gardens on May 26 \u2013 a significant increase on the previous high mark of 32.8C, which had been set back in 1922 and equalled in 1944.<\/p>\n

Both heatwaves were caused by a “heat dome” – a stalled area of high pressure that trapped hot air over the region, say experts.<\/p>\n

The heat dome was made worse by human-induced climate change, the researchers say. This has warmed the planet by around 1.4C since pre-industrial times and scientists believe it added between 3 and 4C to the maximum temperatures recorded in May and June.<\/p>\n

Hot tropical nights added to the sweltering conditions, offering little respite.<\/p>\n

Many UK homes are not built to cope, leaving people vulnerable to prolonged, high temperatures. <\/p>\n

Heat puts immense physical strain on the body, made worse if you are dehydrated, with the heart pumping harder and faster to cool you off.<\/p>\n

Babies and older people are among those most at risk of harm, as well as those with existing health conditions.<\/p>\n

It can lead to more heart attacks, strokes and other potentially fatal emergencies. <\/p>\n

Intense heat can affect anyone, including fit and healthy people, and is dubbed a ‘silent killer’ because early symptoms are easily overlooked. <\/p>\n

And when the hot air is very wet or humid, like it was in June, it’s more difficult for the body to cool down through sweating. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The study uses death records from previous years to model or estimate how many there might have been in May and June 2026.<\/p>\n

It makes assumptions about how badly people were affected by the heat, so the findings may not play out. <\/p>\n

One of the researchers, Dr Clair Barnes, who is an expert in extreme weather and climate change at Imperial College London, said: “If by putting out these estimates we highlight to people how dangerous it is and they change their behaviour next time there’s a heatwave and our estimates turn out to be high, I will be thrilled. <\/p>\n

“These are big numbers and we don’t want to see this many people dying.”<\/p>\n

Experts thought 2025 was going to be a very bad year for heat-related deaths, but the numbers who died turned out to be much lower than expected – roughly half the 3,039 predicted. <\/p>\n

Heat health alerts, alongside action taken across the NHS and care system are likely to have reduced the impact, the UKHSA said.<\/p>\n

Some of the researchers believe, on current trajectories, heat-related deaths in parts of northern Europe could begin to rival cold-related ones within a couple of decades \u2013 though they stress that outcome depends heavily on how fast the world cuts climate emissions and how well countries adapt.<\/p>\n

Heatwaves are expected to become more frequent, more intense and longer-lasting the more greenhouse gases are emitted.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

More than 2,700 people may have died from heat-related causes during the UK’s exceptionally hot weather in May and June, experts’ estimates suggest. The figure, from a team at Imperial College London, the Met Office and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, is based on what’s known about the dangers of extreme heat. 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