Thousands may have died in UK’s exceptional May and June heatwaves

More than 2,700 people may have died from heat-related causes during the UK's exceptionally hot weather in May and June, experts' estimates suggest.

One of the researchers, Dr Clair Barnes, who is an expert in extreme weather and climate change at Imperial College London, said: "If by putting out these estimates we highlight to people how dangerous it is and they change their behaviour next time there's a heatwave and our estimates turn out to be high, I will be thrilled.

Both heatwaves were caused by a "heat dome" - a stalled area of high pressure that trapped hot air over the region, say experts.