England-Wales June heatwave killed 440 daily at peak: Study
What's the story
The extreme heatwave that hit England and Wales in June is estimated to have killed around 440 people a day during its three-day peak, a report by The Guardian cited scientists as saying. The heatwave ended up killing about 2,700 people prematurely across both May and June. This data highlights the severity of the situation, with over 40% of these deaths being attributed to human-induced climate change.
Expert warning
'Big numbers'
Dr. Clair Barnes from Imperial College London, who led the analysis, said, "These are big numbers, and we don't want to see this many people dying."
The June heatwave was the widest and most intense ever recorded in Europe, costing over 20,000 lives.
In Germany alone, nearly 5,500 deaths were reported due to record temperatures of 41.7°C.
Excess mortality
May heatwave
The analysis estimated that 550 people died due to heat-related causes during the May heatwave (21-29 May 2026). Almost 60% of these deaths were attributed to climate change.
The June period saw around 2,200 heat-related deaths, with about 38% linked to global warming.
These figures are already close to the death toll from record-breaking heat in 2022.
Rising temperatures
'Exceptional' heatwaves
Dr. Mark McCarthy from the Met Office said 2026 has been "exceptional for the two early-season heatwaves."
He added that human-induced climate change is making heatwaves more frequent and intense in the UK.
The analysis used peer-reviewed methods to determine how climate change affected these heatwaves and estimated excess deaths due to extreme temperatures.
Underestimated impact
Rising global temperatures
Dr. Ross Thompson from the UKHSA stressed that focusing on heat as a direct cause of death "would just be the tip of the iceberg."
The UK has detailed data on deaths and climate, enabling such analyses. However, similar studies are not possible in many countries affected by rising temperatures.
A conservative estimate in 2025 suggested that rising heat kills one person a minute globally.