Early summer has already brought two heat waves to England, and officials sounded the alarm last week to keep people safe.

What's happening?

Temperatures were expected to climb from around 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) to 28, 30, and 32 (82, 86, and 90) heading into this past weekend, The Mirror reported. In June, a heat dome pushed the mercury to 35 C (95 F).

The southeastern and eastern regions of the country were at risk, and the newspaper compared the weather to that in Barbados, where it was 28-29 C (82-84 F).

"High pressure from the Atlantic will gradually exert its influence over the UK this week," Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Dan Holley said. "We'll see temperatures build day on day, with the potential for hot conditions to become quite widespread by the end of the week and into the weekend."

Why is this important?

"This heat wave is likely to last longer than previous ones so far this summer, and affect a wider area, with the focus for some of the highest temperatures displaced across more central and western areas at times," Holley added. "In addition, pollen and UV levels will also be very high in some areas."

High temperatures can be deadly, and research shows the changing climate is exacerbating these events. About 2,300 people died in London and other major European cities from severe heat from June 23 to July 2, CNN reported. That was 1,500 more than would've died without rising global temperatures caused by the burning of dirty energy sources.

Temperatures during that heat wave were 1-4 C (2-7 F) higher than they would have been because the planet is 1.3 C (2.3 F) hotter.

People with health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory illnesses are particularly vulnerable, though everyone is at risk, and the consequences include mental health issues.

"Heat waves don't leave a trail of destruction like wildfires or storms," Ben Clarke of Imperial College London told CNN. "Their impacts are mostly invisible but quietly devastating — a change of just 2 or 3 degrees Celsius can mean the difference between life and death for thousands of people."

What's being done about heat waves?

Rising temperatures and increasingly frequent and severe extreme weather events such as heat waves can be slowed by eliminating the heat-trapping pollution at the root of such problems. That means switching to clean energy sources, though cities must also be designed to withstand the challenges of a changing climate, Imperial College London's Friederike Otto told CNN.

You can help by taking cleaner modes of transportation, investing in clean-energy home improvements, and even using less plastic. As a bonus, these actions will also save you money.

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