suggest. The figure, from a team at Imperial College London, the Met Office and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, is based on what's known about the dangers of extreme heat. Most deaths will have occurred in the June heatwave, they say - the warmest June on record in England, when temperatures hit 37.7C (99.9F) at Lingwood, Norfolk, smashing the previous high of 35.6C set in 1957. A rare red heat alert was issued for parts of England and Wales at the time, warning even healthy people of the significant risk to life.

The study estimates that around 550 people died as a result of the heat between 21 and 29 May, and nearly 2,200 died between 18 and 28 June in England and Wales. May temperatures hit a new UK high of 35.1C at Kew Gardens on May 26 – a significant increase on the previous high mark of 32.8C, which had been set back in 1922 and equalled in 1944. Both heatwaves were caused by a "heat dome" - a stalled area of high pressure that trapped hot air over the region, say experts. The heat dome was made worse by human-induced climate change, the researchers say. This has warmed the planet by around 1.4C since pre-industrial times and scientists believe it added between 3 and 4C to the maximum temperatures recorded in May and June. Hot tropical nights added to the sweltering conditions, offering little respite. Many UK homes are not built to cope, leaving people vulnerable to prolonged, high temperatures. Heat puts immense physical strain on the body, made worse if you are dehydrated, with the heart pumping harder and faster to cool you off. (BBC)