• Swindon & Wiltshire Education, training and skills
• Friday May 24 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Weather extremes were more deadly than Covid during pandemic, Bristol study finds

More people died from hot or cold weather conditions than Covid-19 in the South West region of England, during the pandemic.

That’s according to new research by the University of Bristol published this week.

The study shows how the death toll from temperature hazards overtook the number of deaths from Covid-19 in the South West of England, when the UK was in the throes of the pandemic.

Lead author Dr Eunice Lo, research fellow in climate change at the University’s Cabot Institute for the Environment said: “The statistics are stark and illustrate how high the health burden of adverse weather is in the UK in the current climate.

“I anticipated higher levels of mortality than normal as the country was also experiencing a record heatwave during the peak of the pandemic, but the extent of the increases are surprising and concerning.”

The researchers sprang into action after Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK Government’s former chief scientific adviser, highlighted at COP26 that the climate crisis was a far bigger problem than Covid-19, which would prove more fatal without immediate changes.

Bristol analysis revealed temperature-related mortality exceeded Covid-19 mortality by eight per cent in South West England between 2020 and 2022.

Temperature-related deaths were also just a quarter less than deaths from Covid-19 in London.

Dr Lo said: “The pandemic rightfully generated huge media attention with the spotlight on daily briefings announcing the latest death toll and public health interventions.

“Although many, and in some parts of the country more, people were dying from high and low temperatures, this largely went under the radar.

“Ironically the record temperatures, topping 40 degrees, were associated with positive news of people enjoying the sunshine which perhaps reflects a general lack of awareness about how harmful excess heat can be.”

The research highlighted how the coinciding crises presented by Covid-19 coupled with a heatwave or conversely an extreme cold snap put health services under unprecedented pressure, potentially increasing avoidable loss of life.

Co-author Professor Dann Mitchell said: “Climate change is not just an environmental issue; it is a constant, underlying stressor that magnifies the impacts of other global crises, including pandemics, wars, and economic instability.

“Our research highlights that during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the compound effects of extreme temperatures led to significant mortality burdens in the UK.

“Our evidence illustrates how climate change can intersect with and exacerbates other crises, creating a multiplier effect that can strain health systems, destabilise economies, and heighten social tensions.

“To mitigate these compounded risks, it is imperative to integrate climate resilience into global health, economic, and security policies.”

A survey by Business West published in 2022 suggested 71 per cent of business leaders in the region consider climate change to be a core ‘business issue’.

Pictured: Extinction Rebellion protest in Bristol, July 2019
Image by Rwendland published under Creative Commons licence