UK heatwaves linked to 2,700+ deaths as third wave intensifies

Researchers estimated that more than 2,700 people died in England and Wales during the record-breaking heatwaves in May and June, while a third heatwave is now intensifying.

• A study published on Monday by Imperial College London, the Met Office and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine estimated 550 deaths in May and nearly 2,200 in June.
• The UK Health Security Agency has issued amber heat health alerts for parts of England until 15 July as temperatures could exceed 30C.
• Firefighters declared major incidents after wildfires in north Wales and Derbyshire, with some residents evacuated.
• Prof Fredi Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial, said the public should not underestimate the risks of extreme heat.

Latest developments

• No significant rain is forecast for at least another week, with large parts of England having received zero rainfall in July.
• More than eight million households are under hosepipe bans as the risk of wildfires remains elevated across affected areas.
• Temperatures could reach up to 33C in southern England, with Wisley in Surrey recording 26 consecutive days without rain.