Data obtained by Carbon Brief reveals that ambulance services across England faced extraordinary demand during the country’s record-breaking June heatwave, when temperatures climbed above 37 degrees Celsius in some regions. Authorities declared only the second ever “red” extreme heat warning during this period, covering the entire Midlands and south of England. The government designation indicated “significant risk to life for even the healthy population.”
Four out of 10 NHS ambulance services in England, including London’s, reported unprecedented volumes of life-threatening emergency calls on at least one day between 23-27 June. Two additional services, based in the south-west and east of the country, recorded their highest total call volumes since records began. The analysis covered data submitted by ambulance trusts in response to freedom-of-information requests, with most services providing records dating back to the 2010s.
On 26 June, the busiest day of the heatwave, ambulances across England responded to 4,084 life-threatening emergencies, compared to an average daily summer volume of approximately 2,500 such incidents. The five-day heatwave period from 23-27 June appeared disproportionately in the top rankings for busiest days across all services, with the trend most pronounced in southern and eastern regions where temperatures approached 38 degrees Celsius in some areas.
The demand levels during the heatwave exceeded those typically seen during winter months and matched or surpassed peaks observed during the Covid-19 pandemic for many services. Extreme heat increases risk of life-threatening conditions including heart disease and respiratory problems, particularly affecting older people, young children, and pregnant individuals. Researchers calculated approximately 3,000 heat-related deaths occurred across the UK during the summer period, with unprecedented strain also reported in accident and emergency departments nationwide.
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