An estimated 2,700 people may have lost their lives in England and Wales due to the severe heat experienced during May and June, with experts linking the deaths to extreme weather conditions.
According to media reports, experts from Imperial College London, the Met Office, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine estimated that approximately 2,700 deaths occurred in England and Wales as a result of the intense heat during May and June.
Reports stated that 550 people died between May 21 and May 29, while around 2,200 deaths were recorded between June 18 and June 28. The extreme heat experienced in June also broke a 50-year temperature record.
Professor Friederike Otto said that most of the deaths occurred during June, when temperatures reached as high as 37.7 degrees Celsius.
She further said that even completely healthy individuals should not assume they are safe from extreme heat, as heatwaves are likely to become more frequent in the future.
According to experts, both heatwaves were caused by a heat dome. They warned that extreme heat can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and other life-threatening illnesses, adding that severe heat is a silent killer that can affect even healthy individuals.
