England heat deaths estimated at 2,877 in May and June

England had an estimated 2,877 excess deaths linked to record-breaking heatwaves in May and June, the UK Health Security Agency said.

The government agency said the provisional figure was almost double the 1,504 heat-associated deaths estimated for the whole summer of 2025 and represented "a substantial public health impact".

UKHSA said there were 753 extra deaths in May and 2,124 in June, when a rare red heat warning was issued. The estimate does not include July, which also had a prolonged heatwave, and the agency said the total for summer 2026 was likely to be substantially higher.

"These figures highlight the significant danger that very hot weather can pose to people's health," said Ross Thompson, principal environmental public health scientist at UKHSA.

Health minister Yvette Cooper said the United Kingdom is used to higher rates of illness in winter, but is now seeing summer heat have an increasingly serious effect on the health of thousands of people.

UKHSA said interim data suggested 2026 could record the highest number of heat-associated deaths. The current record for a whole summer was set in 2022, when 2,985 deaths associated with heat were recorded.

The excess mortality figure is calculated by comparing average deaths on days when temperatures exceed 20C with average deaths on cooler days. UKHSA said communities and services needed to prepare for hot weather from the start of summer, not only at its height.

The Climate Change Committee, which advises the government on climate change, warned last year that the UK was "not ready" for climate change consequences. In a May report, it estimated that 92 percent of British homes could be too hot by 2050 and recommended maximum workplace temperature limits and investment in air conditioning for public buildings including hospitals and schools.