UK media heatwave coverage analysis

An analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) of nearly 2,500 articles from nine major UK national newspapers found that about 72% of reports on the June 2026 heatwave failed to mention climate change or global heating. The heatwave saw temperatures exceed 37°C, a record for June. The Financial Times had the highest proportion of articles linking heat to climate (about 67%), followed by The Guardian (about 49%). The Sun had the lowest (6%). Research from Imperial College London estimated about 2,700 heat-related deaths in May and June, with about 1,100 attributable to climate change. Scientists emphasized that the extreme weather would not have been possible without human activities. The ECIU's Gareth Redmond-King stated that improving public understanding of the link between extreme weather, climate change, and net zero policies is essential.