Excess deaths due to heat highest since 2004

The UKHSA and ONS have jointly authored a report on excess deaths due to the heatwaves we experienced this summer.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Office for National Statistics (ONS) collaborated to produce a very detailed report - Excess mortality during heat-periods: 1 June to 31 August 2022

It shows that daily death occurrences peaked on the hottest days of the year. Excess deaths on these days were around 6.2% higher than the five year average. Certain groups were more vulnerable, with around 3,000 more deaths in the over-65s this year than is usual.

What does 'excess deaths' mean?

Also know as 'excess mortality', this is a term that refers to the number of deaths from all causes during a crisis, such as a heatwave, above and beyond what is expected under ‘normal’ conditions. To decide the excess mortality figure, deaths for a period of time are compared to five year averages.

Excess mortality is one of the key ways that we continue to measure the impact that Covid-19 is having.