UP TO 10,000 people a year in Britain could die as a result of heatwaves, MPs warned today.

 Not only will increasingly severe and frequent heatwaves have a profound impact on health, a report by the environmental audit committee has found, they could also cost the economy about £60 billion a year. 

In July 2024, the UK Health Security Agency issued its first-ever “level 4” heat alert after temperatures hit 40°C for the first time.

Globally, 2023 was recorded as the hottest year since records began, averaging at 1.18°C above 20th-century levels.

The Office of National Statistics estimates that there were about 4,500 heat-related deaths in 2022. But by 2050, the committee report projects that this could rise to 10,000, with those over 65 and those with existing health conditions most at risk.

Extreme heat can elevate blood pressure and heart rate, raising the risk of illness or dehydration and heatstroke-related fatalities. 

The committee said they heard evidence that suicide risk could be twice as high when the temperature is 32°C rather than 22°C.

The government was urged to implement a new national retrofit programme to improve energy efficiency and meet net-zero targets.

A spokesperson from campaign group XR said: “With the acceleration of planetary warming, it’s inevitable that ‘wet bulb’ temperatures — where humidity hinders our sweat’s ability to regulate body temperature, even at 35°C — will have a growing impact on us in the coming decades.

“Unfortunately planning for ‘resilience’ will be closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. The only way to survive such temperatures is to stop the causes of global heating: the burning of fossil fuels.”