Temperatures across England and Wales have soared above 33 °C as a severe heat wave takes hold, prompting amber heat‑health alerts and raising concern that nearly 600 people, predominantly those aged 65 and over, could die prematurely by the weekend.

Health authorities warn that prolonged exposure to such extreme warmth, combined with elevated ozone levels in urban centres like London and the West Midlands, threatens to overwhelm vulnerable populations and intensify existing respiratory conditions.

Scientists emphasise that even small increases in heat, intensified by climate change, can have significant health consequences, underlining the urgency for both public preparedness and long‑term climate action to curb rising mortality rates.

This heat event echoes past records but signals a troubling future unless emissions and public health resilience improve markedly.