2,877 heat-associated deaths in May and June, new official interim data: comment

“As we suffer through our fourth heatwave, the deaths of nearly 3,000 people in the May and June heatwaves is a horrible reminder of how deadly this extreme weather can be.

"We know already that these heatwaves would have been 2°C cooler 20 years ago, and 3.5°C cooler 50 years ago, and that climate change makes heatwaves more frequent and more intense, as well as hotter. [2] This gives a clear picture of how much more dangerous we make our climate as we continue to burn oil and gas, and erode nature.

"Cutting our emissions to net zero is the only solution we have to stop climate change, and return balance to the system. This limits the danger into the future, but already experts have warned that we are way behind in adapting to the reality of living in a world we’ve heated by 1.4°C.” [3]