England and Wales recorded an estimated 4,652 heat-related deaths in 2022, the highest annual total in the period analyzed, with heat peaks among the top five years alongside 2025 and 2018.

From 1988 to 2025, about 42,133 deaths are attributed to the hottest days and 149,042 to the coldest days, with cold-related mortality generally outnumbering heat deaths.

The Office for National Statistics notes that the current analysis covers climate-related mortality linked to both hot and cold temperatures and that 2026 heatwaves are not yet reflected in the data.

Vulnerability is highest among the elderly, children, and the unwell, and the trend is expected to continue as the climate crisis intensifies and the population ages.

Experts emphasize the need to identify vulnerable groups for targeted adaptation and public health interventions, including accelerating housing measures like insulation and expanding support for the Warm Homes programme to reduce heat vulnerability.

Analysts warn that climate change is intensifying heatwaves and stress the urgency of a rapid transition to net-zero emissions to reduce future deaths.

The report underscores broader public health and policy implications, urging emissions reductions to mitigate rising mortality risks from extreme heat.

Officials project hotter, drier summers with more than 92% of UK homes at risk of overheating by 2050, highlighting escalating public health risks.

The report indicates ongoing updates and that the story is developing as new data become available.

Updated figures, including five heatwaves from the current summer, are anticipated later in the year, suggesting the trend may worsen with continued heat events.

Globally, heat-related mortality is rising, with warnings from studies and organizations about ongoing health risks from extreme heat.