London heatwave killed 263 people – with climate change to blame for most, study says
London’s heatwave death toll revealed in climate warning
- A study estimates that climate change tripled the number of heat-related deaths across European cities during recent heatwaves.
- Around 1,500 of the 2,300 estimated heat deaths in Europe were attributed to human-driven global warming.
- In London, 173 of the 263 excess deaths during the last heatwave were linked to climate change, with Madrid and Paris also seeing significant climate-related fatalities.
- Researchers found that these heatwaves were up to 4C hotter in cities compared to a world without climate change, which has already warmed by 1.3C.
- Scientists warn that heatwaves are "quietly devastating" and pose a growing risk, particularly for older and vulnerable people, with the true death toll across Europe potentially much higher.