Fewer heat-related deaths in 2025 despite warmest summer in UK

During the summer of 2025, the UK experienced its warmest season on record, marked by four distinct heatwaves and a peak temperature near 38°C. Despite these unusually high temperatures, official data revealed that the number of heat-related deaths was significantly lower than anticipated. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported approximately 1,504 deaths connected to heat in England, which is about half the 3,039 deaths that had been projected.

According to the Met Office, although the summer included four relatively short heatwaves without breaking any day-to-day temperature records, the average temperature for the season reached 16.1°C. This surpassed the previous record set in 2018, which stood at 15.76°C. The summer of 1976 still holds a unique place in British weather history for having more days exceeding 32°C — 16 days compared to just nine in 2025. Experts attributed the persistent warmth to several factors, including dominant high-pressure weather systems, warmer-than-usual sea temperatures around the UK, and dry soils in spring.

The UKHSA suggested that one reason for the lower-than-expected death toll could be that people started adopting protective measures earlier in the year, anticipating hotter conditions. Dr Agostinho Sousa, who leads the extreme events and health protection unit at UKHSA, emphasized that the reduced deaths likely reflect effective coordination within the health and social care sectors. Nonetheless, Dr Sousa cautioned that as heatwaves become more frequent, intense, and prolonged, ongoing preparedness remains crucial to safeguard vulnerable populations.

Heat poses the greatest threat to certain groups, particularly older adults and infants. Those aged 75 and above continue to experience the highest mortality rates related to extreme temperatures, mainly because age and chronic health conditions like heart disease reduce the body’s ability to manage heat stress. Problems such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke remain risks during hot spells. Looking ahead to 2026, the Met Office predicts the global average temperature could rank as the fourth warmest on record, exceeding 1.46°C above average. Although detailed UK forecasts for the year have not yet been published, winter weather has been relatively mild but unsettled, with low-pressure systems bringing heavy rain and gales to parts of northern and western Britain, along with potential travel disruptions

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