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10,000 people a year could die as a result of heatwaves, committee warns
A crowd of people watch the setting sun from a hill in Ealing, west London, August 11, 2022

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.

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