Deaths nearly 20% higher than average during UK’s record heatwave

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The number of deaths registered during the week of record-breaking heatwave in England and Wales was nearly 20 per cent higher than the five-year average, according to the Office of National Statistics. At this stage it is hard to tell how much of that increase will be due to heat-related excess deaths, and the ONS said deaths have been higher than the five-year average since spring and that they were still looking into why this might be. The number of deaths recorded that week were almost a third higher than the five-year average in private homes and more than 10 per cent higher in care homes, according to the ONS. Extreme heat can exacerbate pre-existing health conditions like respiratory and heart diseases, but the death certificate wouldn’t necessarily describe the death as heat-related, so quantifying the number of heat-related excess deaths can be difficult.