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UK heatwave linked to 2,700 excess deaths across Britain
A joint study by Imperial College London, the Met Office and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine estimated that the May‑June heatwaves in 2026 caused about 2,700 excess deaths in England and Wales, 42 % of which were attributed to anthropogenic climate warming. The analysis recorded 109 deaths in London in May and 344 in June, with the highest mortality rates among people aged 85 and older. The same heatwave sparked record temperatures across Western Europe – up to 38 °C in the UK and similar extremes in France and Germany – and EuroMOMO reported more than 10,000 excess deaths in the broader European region. German health authorities later issued an estimate of roughly 5,100 heat‑related deaths. Health officials in Scotland have called the situation a “public‑health emergency”, urging heat‑resilience measures such as greener cities, better building design and protected care‑home environments. Scientists from Oxford have questioned the modelling approach, asking for transparent mortality data, while public‑health campaigns across Europe are urging vulnerable groups to stay hydrated, avoid outdoor exertion during peak heat and seek cooling shelters.