According to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), more than half a million fewer people have died in England and Wales as a result of cold weather in the past two decades. Between 2001 and 2020, about 27,000 deaths a year was associated with warm or cold temperatures, which is a decrease of 555,103. A major reason for this decrease was that fewer people died from cold weather during this period.
According to the Met Office, the three decades between 1991-2020 was 0.9C warmer than the 1961-1990 average.
But this is not necessarily good news.
Scientists have warned at the same time that a sixth mass extinction event is in progress on Earth as the planet is ravaged by floods and rising sea levels caused by the same temperature increase.
This could have devastating consequences for life on Earth in the future.
By analysing data obtained for invertebrates like land snails and slugs, scientists found that, since the year 1500, Earth could already have lost between 7.5 and 13 percent of the two million known species.
This amounts to a staggering 150,000 to 260,000 species.
Bioscience professor Robert Cowie claimed: “Including invertebrates was key to confirming that we are indeed witnessing the onset of the sixth mass extinction in Earth’s history.”
And things don’t appear to be getting better.
Scientists have warned that 2021 was the sixth warmest year on record.
This trend has been observed over the past decade or so, with the last eight years being the eight hottest and the last decade was the warmest since record-keeping began in 1880, according to NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
READ MORE: Humanity ‘can’t afford to wait any longer’ to deal with climate crisis