Latest report shows that more than 2,800 people aged 65 and above have died in England as a result of this summer’s heat waves, marking the highest excess death toll caused by heat in at least two decades.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) recorded 43,755 non-Covid-related deaths of people in the 65-plus age group during this summer’s heatwaves in England.
Statistics released simultaneously by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that this was 2,809 more deaths than would be expected based on the surrounding fortnight, the highest number since the introduction of the heatwave plan for England in 2004.
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The statistics show that the number of people who died across all age groups in England and Wales was 6.2% higher than normal for the time of year, compared with the five-year average.
It showed that during the second heatwave, between 10 and 25 July – in which a new UK record temperature of 40.3C (104.5F) was set at Coningsby, Lincolnshire – overall excess deaths were 10.4% higher.
According to the UKHSA, an extra 1,206 over-65-year-olds died during the July heatwave, a figure which is 7% more than would have been expected to based on the days surrounding the heatwave.
The data further showed that the 8-17 August heatwave was the most devastating for older people, with 1,459 excess deaths (excluding Covid-19 deaths) – 15% higher than would have otherwise been expected.
The ONS figures for all age groups found that each hot period was followed by a period of lower-than-expected deaths – suggesting that some deaths of vulnerable people were brought forward because of the heat.
Story was adapted from the Guardian.
