More than 2,700 people have died in England and Wales during the heatwaves in May and June, a recent study has revealed.
The study was carried out by experts from Imperial College London, the UK Met Office and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. They used weather data, climate models and studies on excess mortality during heatwaves to confirm their estimate.
It is estimated that 42% of deaths occurred as a result of the extra heat caused by human-induced warming.
The heatwaves in May and June were both record breaking events and are said to be caused by climate change.
In May, temperatures reached up to 35.1C in West London, and in June, for three consecutive days the temperatures rose to 37C in East Anglia.
Due to the rising temperatures, experts are issuing warning of the dangerous impact of climate change.
Dr Clair Barnes, Research Associate in Extreme Weather and Climate Change, Imperial College London said, "every time we have a heatwave, our news is filled with reporters at swimming pools, images of people eating ice cream and sunbathers on beaches. We all love the sun, but people need to be aware that we are now seeing dangerous climate-change fuelled heat that is claiming lives, disrupting schools and hospitals and shutting down transport and infrastructure."
“It’s time we woke up to the fact that we now live in a country with dangerously hot summers. To protect people during future extremes, we must urgently adapt to the reality of the climate we now have, and double down on global efforts to reach net zero emissions to stop this from getting worse," she continued.
Dr. Mark McCarthy, manager of Climate Attribution at the Met Office said that it is clear that human-cause climate change is leading to more frequent and more intense heatwaves. McCarthy also warned that the intense heat is driving many impacts such as human health and morality, agriculture, effects on transport infrastructure and biodiversity.
The study estimated that around 550 people died as a result of the heatwave in May and almost 2,200 people died as a result of the heatwave in June.
According to RTE, a report published in May predicted that 92% of British homes could be too hot by 2050. The report also encouraged the government to set a maximum temperature limits in the work place and to invest in air conditioning for public buildings.
