The heatwave that hit England and Wales this summer is believed to have caused more than 2,700 deaths.
The estimate was made by a group of researchers from Imperial College London, the UK Met Office and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine based on a study of temperatures and death rates during periods of extreme heat.
According to the researchers, climate change has increased temperatures by around 3 to 4 degrees Celsius compared to what would have happened without global warming.
They estimate that more than 40% of the recorded deaths are directly related to the increase in temperatures due to climate change driven by human activities.
Heatwaves are considered among the most dangerous weather disasters because they can have serious effects on health, especially the elderly, children and individuals with chronic diseases.
Excessively high temperatures make it difficult for the body to cool down, thus increasing the risk of heat stroke, dehydration and heart problems.
The study also found that extreme heat is occurring earlier than usual. In May, the United Kingdom recorded its highest temperature on record for the month, reaching 35.1 degrees Celsius in Kew Gardens, London.
The heatwave is estimated to have caused around 550 deaths. In June, temperatures exceeded 37 degrees Celsius in parts of East Anglia for three consecutive days, with an estimated 2,200 more deaths estimated to have occurred as a result of the heatwave.
Researchers explained that this estimate was obtained by comparing data on deaths during hot weather with what would have happened if the world had not experienced global warming.
The UK Health Security Agency is expected to release an official analysis soon to confirm the true impact of the heatwave.
So far this year, almost 10,000 deaths have been linked to extreme heat in the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Germany.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also warned that the increasing frequency of heatwaves in Europe is a sign of things to come if climate change continues.
