National Heat Risk Commission responds to research confirming that over 50,000 people are estimated to have died in urban areas during Europe’s sweltering summer

Responding to research confirming that over 50,000 people are estimated to have died in urban areas during Europe’s sweltering summer, Emma Howard Boyd CBE, Chair of the National Heat Risk Commission and Professor in Practice at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, said: “More than 50,000 excess heat deaths are estimated to have occurred in European towns and cities during summer 2026, with climate change responsible for around two-thirds, according to two peer-reviewed studies published in Nature Health.

“The UK is among Europe’s five worst-affected countries, with an estimated 4,354 heatwave deaths since June. This summer’s provisional heatwave death toll is a national scandal and a stark reminder that extreme heat is a silent killer. Yet the Government is not showing the same urgency in tackling it as it rightly is doing in responding to wildfires.

“Heatwaves cost lives, put enormous pressure on our NHS and ambulance services, contribute to cancelled operations and create intolerable conditions for patients and staff on hospital wards. We must also protect older and vulnerable people in care homes, as well as those living alone or with health conditions that make them particularly susceptible to heat.

“There was barely a hint of the summer we have just experienced in the questions put to the Health Secretary and her team during Health Questions in the House of Commons on Tuesday. Given the scale of the deaths and the pressure on our health and care services, that lack of scrutiny is deeply concerning. Not acting on the lessons of this summer and preparing for next year would be a national failure of preparedness. The Government must commit to practical action, backed by funding and clear deadlines, before summer 2027.

“That means ensuring hospitals and care homes have effective cooling, ventilation and heatwave plans, with the resources to protect patients, residents and staff. We need stronger early-warning systems, welfare checks on vulnerable and isolated older people, and better preparation across the NHS, ambulance services and local authorities to cope with surges in demand. Homes and public buildings must also be made safer in extreme heat, and workers protected through access to water, rest breaks and appropriate safeguards during dangerous temperatures.

“This investment makes economic sense. The Climate Change Committee’s A Well-Adapted UK report shows that the investment needed to strengthen the UK’s resilience to climate change is manageable, while the costs of inaction could be far greater. Investing now can prevent avoidable deaths, reduce pressure on public services, and protect the economy from escalating climate impacts.

“We must also cut the emissions driving the growing threat of extreme heat. We know the danger is coming. The Government must act now to protect lives before the next heatwave hits.”