Nearly 3,000 people in UK die from extreme heat in two months

Women fill up water bottles in London in the heat (Photo by Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images) An estimated 2,877 deaths were associated with excessive heat in May and June this year – almost double the number of casualties compared to last summer. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the figure represented a significant increase on 2025’s heat-related death toll, which was 1,504. Approximately 753 deaths were linked to the heatwave from 24 to 27 May, while 2,124 were associated with a second period of unusually hot weather between 21 and 28 June. The health body stressed that these figures are interim and an official number has yet to be determined. But they are already approaching the annual record for heat-related deaths set in 2022. Sign up for all of the latest stories