Record-Crushing UK Heatwaves In 2020 Caused An Estimated 2,500+ Deaths
LONDON (Reuters) - Heatwaves caused a record 2,556 excess deaths in Britain this summer as the country was struggling to contain the coronavirus pandemic, according to a government estimate published on Thursday.
Increasingly frequent and severe heatwaves are among the deadliest impacts of climate change, mostly hitting elderly people and other vulnerable groups the hardest, scientists say. “Unless the government takes urgent action to address the climate emergency, the number of excess deaths due to heatwaves is likely to increase year on year,” said Sandy Robertson of the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, an advocacy group of health professionals.
Britain suffered a series of heatwaves here in June, July and August in which many weather stations around the country broke or matched their maximum temperature records.
The estimate of 2,556 excess deaths was the highest since the government launched a plan to manage the health effects of hot temperatures after an estimated 2,234 people died in England during a pan-European heatwave in 2003.
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https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-britain-heatwave/heatwaves-caused-record-deaths-as-britain-struggled-with-coronavirus-study-idUSKBN27Z2SY
