The sweltering heatwave that could see temperatures hit 36°C in the UK is also sweeping parts of Europe, where a red alert has been issued and tourist attractions have been shut.
In Britain, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) extended amber heat health alerts for much of the country into Wednesday morning after Monday saw the hottest start to Wimbledon on record, with 32.9°C recorded.
As a result of the ongoing heat, researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) have predicted that the UK will see an additional 350 deaths across the UK.
But Britain will record less excess deaths than four other European countries in between 30 June and 4 July, the LSHTM researchers estimate.
An estimated 920 deaths are estimated to take place across Germany, followed by Italy (872), France (632), Spain (623) and the United Kingdom (355).
Malcolm Mistry, Assistant Professor in Climate and Geo-Spatial Modelling at LSHTM, told The i Paper that the high number of deaths may stem from the heatwave occurring early in the summer.
“The timing is important because when heat waves occur early in the season, the local population has typically not acclimatised,” he said.
“It can prove more dangerous compared to mid- or end-summer heat, where the populations have sort of slowly acclimatised.”
The “frequency and intensity” of heatwaves across the globe is increasing – a trend that partly stems from climate change, he warned.
“Research conducted in recent years has shown that there is a robust signal [that it is] human-induced climate change that’s responsible for increasing the intensity and frequency of these heat extremes.”
Building on the methodology of two studies, published in Nature Medicine and The Lancet Planetary Health, Professor Mistry and his colleagues used heat-related mortality data from 854 locations in Europe to produce estimates for excess deaths caused by the ongoing heatwave across different countries and regions.
He highlighted that the deaths are preventable, meaning the research could be used to shed light on the level of precautions that need to be taken by individuals and local authorities.
Consultant Chris Nordstrom, who works in one of the busiest A&E departments in London, told The i Paper that he has treated patients in hospital with heat-related illnesses for the last three nights.
“We have seen a lot of patients coming in with heat-related conditions, particularly sunburn, insect stings, and allergic reactions from spending more time outdoors,” he said.
He advised people to take appropriate precautions in the hot weather, including using sunscreen regularly, staying hydrated, using insect repellent, and ensuring they have antihistamines on hand.
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