2,000 extra deaths recorded during August heat wave

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) has reported that, during the recent heat wave, there were more than 2,000 deaths over and above the monthly average.

On each of the 10 days from August 4 to August 13, estimated numbers of deaths in England and Wales were above average for those days over the last five years.

There were an estimated 15,187 deaths over these 10 days – 2,045 above the average for the last five years. According to Met Office reports, temperatures were above 30ºC at a number of weather stations for a period of 10 consecutive days, beginning a day earlier than the increase in deaths.

The ONS has estimated that the number of deaths peaked at 1,691 on Monday 11 August 2003, the day after peak temperatures were recorded. This was 363 more deaths than the average for that day over the previous five years.

In London, the East of England and the South East there were 6,044 deaths during this time, 40% of the national total. This was 1,314 above the average for the same period in the previous five years and 64% of the increase nationally. Over most of these regions, temperatures exceeded 30ºC on August 10.

In August as a whole, there were estimated to be 1,495 deaths above the average for that month over the last five years. This contrasts with July, where deaths were 746 below the July average over the last five years.

Although numbers of deaths in August 2003 were higher than average, the peak number on 11 August was still lower than typical daily mortality in the winter months.

Over the last five years, December and January had daily averages of 1,725 and 1,872 deaths respectively.

Average daily mortality in August (1,362 deaths) was also lower than average daily mortality over the whole of the previous five years (1,485 deaths).

(gmcg)