Due to climate change, at least 1,147 people died in the UK this summer as a result of heatwaves.


This revelation was made in a research report published on Wednesday by Imperial College London.


According to the report, environmental changes caused by deforestation and fossil fuels have increased temperatures by 2.2°C, with a rise of up to 3.6°C recorded between June and August.


During these three months, across 854 European cities or regions, there were 24,400 deaths, of which 68 were directly attributed to extreme heat, while 16,500 were excess deaths. In Rome alone, there were 835 excess deaths, in Athens 630, and in Paris 409.


In the UK, heat-related deaths included 315 in London, 52 in Birmingham, and 24 each in Glasgow and Sheffield.


Experts have warned that these numbers represent only a fraction of the deaths caused by heat, as the cities and regions studied cover only 30% of Europe’s population, and most heat-related deaths often go unreported.


Claire Barns, a researcher at Imperial College London’s Centre for Environmental Policy, said:

Even a small rise in temperature can put thousands of lives at risk during heatwaves."



The research also found that this summer, deaths among those aged 65 and older rose by 85%, while deaths among those aged 85 and older increased by 41%.


The report further recommended that cities be made more environmentally friendly.