Our buildings make this heatwave worse – here’s how to cool them down

Many buildings in cool countries are poorly designed to cope with heat, and new homes and offices are even worse. Thousands will die if we don’t fix them

Tom Nicholson/LNP

Temperatures in the southern parts of the UK have been pushing 30°C for weeks, and health warnings about the heatwave have been flying. That has attracted some derision from those living in hotter places, such as the city of Darwin in Australia. “In Darwin that’s called winter,” was one mocking response.

Yes, it gets much hotter elsewhere. But that is missing the point. Hot places are geared up to cope with heat. By contrast, when temperatures soar in normally cooler cities like London, people commute …