Record summer temperatures propelled UK excess deaths in people aged 65 and over to their highest level since records began in 2004, modelling from the UK Health Security Agency has indicated.
Excluding deaths where Covid-19 was the registered cause, the extra fatalities in this cohort across the five "heat periods" between mid-June and late August reached 2,803.
From July 17 to 20 this year when temperatures were at their highest and London was hotter than parts of Middle East, there were an estimated 1,012 excess deaths among over 65s.
"These estimates show clearly that high temperatures can be a fast and unsuspecting killer for those who are vulnerable," said Isabel Oliver, UKHSA chief scientific officer.
"Higher excess deaths occurred during the hottest days this year and a warming climate means we must adapt to living safely with hotter summers in the future.
"Prolonged periods of hot weather are a particular risk for elderly people, those with heart and lung conditions or people who are unable to keep themselves cool such as people with learning disabilities and Alzheimer's disease."
Heatwave in the UK - in pictures
-
People basking in the sun on a crowded Brighton beach. The temperature in Britain smashed through the 40ºC barrier for the first time in recorded history. PA -
A man dives into the Serpentine Lake to cool off in Hyde Park, west London. AFP -
Firefighters rest as they attend a gorse bush fire, near Zennor, Cornwall. Reuters -
A tourist wears a hat to shield herself from the sun on Westminster Bridge in central London. AP -
A man cools off at Trafalgar Square, central London. Reuters -
Firefighters respond to a large wildfire in woodland at Lickey Hills Country Park on the edge of Birmingham. PA -
A railway worker hands out bottles of water to passengers at London's King's Cross, where there are train cancellations due to the heat. AP -
Firefighters control a grass fire in Ravenswood, Suffolk. PA -
Train tracks are painted white to help with the heat at Alexandra Palace train station in London. PA -
Deer rest in the shade at London's Richmond Park. Reuters -
An empty freezer section at Sainsbury's Nine Elms in London. PA -
Chippy the chimpanzee enjoys an ice treat at Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park, near Stirling. AP -
A student dips her head into the fountain at Trafalgar Square, London. Getty Images -
People turn out to watch the sunrise on Tuesday morning at Cullercoats Bay, North Tyneside. PA -
A digital thermometer displaying a temperature of 39°C on a London Underground train. PA -
A fan finds a way to keep cool while watching the Women's Euro 2022 football match between Italy and Belgium at Manchester City Academy Stadium. AP -
An aerial view shows swimmers at Hathersage Swimming Pool, west of Sheffield in northern England. AFP -
Traffic crosses a bridge at Woodhead Resevoir in West Yorkshire as water levels dip dangerously low. AP -
A man leaps from the top of a tree into the River Cam, in Cambridge. Getty Images -
A packed Gyllyngvase beach in Falmouth. Getty Images -
A police officer gives water to a sentry in heavy ceremonial uniform, outside Buckingham Palace in central London. AP -
A man cools off in a fountain in London. Reuters -
A man sunbathes at the harbour in Mousehole, Cornwall. AP -
People swim in the River Wye. Reuters -
Passengers feel the heat on the London Underground. The operator advised its customers not to use the metro during the worst of the heatwave. AP -
Palm House supervisor Will Spolestra waters the plants at the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, west London, where temperatures inside the greenhouses are cooler than outside during the heatwave. PA -
Dry grass at Greenwich Park, south-east London. AP -
A swimmer takes an early morning dip in the cool water of Jesus Green Lido in Cambridge, eastern England. Getty Images -
Assistant horticulturalist Katie Martyr checks the temperature at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden. Forecasts are for record temperatures exceeding 40°C. Getty Images -
Bathers keep cool in a tidal pool at Perranporth Beach in Cornwall, south-west England. Reuters -
Message boards at London's Victoria Station warn passengers of potential disruption to train services due to the extreme heat. AFP -
Zorro the police horse drinks water from a bucket to cool down during hot weather, on Whitehall in London. Reuters -
People use a map to shelter from the sun outside Buckingham Palace in London. Reuters -
A cyclist rides through Richmond Park in south-west London at sunrise on Monday. Reuters -
The reduced water level at Weir Wood reservoir, near Crawley, south-east England. The UK's Met Office has issued its first 'red warning' for exceptional heat. AFP -
A crowded beach at Joss Bay in Broadstairs, south-east England. Reuters -
Swimmers take the plunge to escape the heat in east London. Reuters -
Sunbathers on the parched grass in Greenwich Park, south-east London. AP -
A sign advises people not to travel on the London Underground during the heatwave. EPA
Separate analysis from the UK's Office for National Statistics showed total deaths in both England and Wales reached 56,303, which was 3,271 above the long-term average.
Excess deaths were at their highest when temperatures peaked between July 10 and 25 when 2,227 fatalities occurred — 10.4 per cent above average.
There were 5,017 deaths above average among people aged 70 and over across the five heat periods, compared with 1,749 deaths below average in those younger than 70.
Each hot spell was followed by several days that saw a fall in deaths to below average, however.
This could mean that deaths among elderly and vulnerable people were "brought forward" by the heat and took place earlier than would otherwise have been the case.
"During the UK summer of record-breaking temperatures, there was an increase in deaths," said Sarah Caul, head of mortality analysis at the ONS. "However, these spikes around the hottest days were followed by periods of below average mortality."
"This is likely to be a result of short-term mortality displacement, especially among older age groups, where people died a few days or weeks earlier than expected.
"This trend is consistent with what we have seen in previous summers with heatwave periods.
"It is also the case that despite peaks in mortality during heatwaves, the majority of days in the winter period [December to March] show a higher number of deaths than we see during summer."
Heat periods are defined by the UKHSA and the ONS as days on which a level-three heat health alert is in place, or days when the mean temperature in central England is greater than 20°C.
The five periods meeting this criteria during summer 2022 were June 16 to 19, July 10 to 25, July 30 to August 5, August 8 to 17 and August 23 to 25.
Of the leading causes of excess deaths across the summer, those due to cardiac arrhythmias — an irregular heartbeat — showed the largest percentage change during the five heat periods.
