ONS reports 40,000 heat-related deaths in England since 1988; 2025 heat deaths exceed cold deaths

Unbiased summary

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) published data on deaths associated with high and low temperatures in England and Wales from 1988 to 2025. The data shows an estimated 40,063 heat-related deaths in England, compared to 138,944 cold-related deaths over the same period. However, in 2025, heat-related deaths (2,805) exceeded cold-related deaths (2,244) for the first time. The data does not include summer 2026. The UK Health Security Agency separately estimated 2,877 deaths during May and June heatwaves. The ONS noted a narrowing gap between heat and cold mortality. Experts called the figures a 'shocking national scandal', and London had the highest number of heat-related deaths. The data also showed that people over 65 were most at risk.

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Coverage by outlet

Morning Star left

Angle The Morning Star pushes an urgent climate-crisis narrative, framing the data as a national tragedy that demands immediate action.

Bias Emphasises alarmist quotes like 'coolest of the rest of our lives' and 'inhumane' hospital conditions, while downplaying the historically higher cold-death toll. It omits context such as 2022 having the highest heat-death year, and instead focuses on the rising heat risk and NHS strain. The tone is heavily editorialised, straying from neutral by attributing the deaths directly to climate change without acknowledging the ONS data only measures temperature associations.

Extreme heat linked to deaths of over 40,000 people in England between 1988 and 2025, data shows

The Guardian left

Angle The Guardian frames the data as evidence of the climate crisis caused by fossil fuels, highlighting the urgent need for systemic action.

Bias Connects the deaths directly to 'climate crisis caused by fossil fuels' and features quotes from climate scientists, while noting the narrowing gap between heat and cold deaths. It includes the 'national scandal' label and emphasises the impact on hospitals and ambulance services. Though it mentions cold deaths are historically higher, the overall framing stresses the avoidability and growth of heat mortality, leaning left on climate advocacy rather than pure reporting.

‘National scandal’: extreme heat linked to 40,000 deaths in England between 1988 and 2025

The Independent centre-left

Angle The Independent provides a more factual and balanced account, though it still interprets the data as climate-related.

Bias Presents specific annual figures, including 2022 as the peak heat-death year, and clearly lists both heat and cold death totals, allowing for comparison. The headline uses 'climate-related deaths', which is an interpretation not directly stated in the ONS data. It avoids emotive language and does not feature campaigner quotes, making it the most neutral, but it still implies a causal link to climate change without explicitly stating that the data measures temperature extremes only.

40,000 climate-related deaths recorded in England over 38 years

Daily Mail right

Angle The Daily Mail frames the data as a 'national scandal' that undermines previous arguments that climate change would be net beneficial for the UK due to milder winters.

Bias Emphasises the statistical shift where heat deaths now outnumber cold deaths, and quotes Bob Ward arguing the 'shocking national scandal'. It omits campaigner warnings and the 'coolest summer' prediction, instead focusing on the practical implications for public health and the failure of past assumptions. The coverage is less overtly climate-focused but still uses the data to highlight a pressing issue, with a slightly right-leaning tone that centres on the human cost and the reversal of a prior counterargument.

More than 40,000 people died due to extreme heat in England between 1988 and 2025, report reveals - as experts call it a 'national scandal'