As the UK swelters under its second heatwave in as many months, many are finding that the places we live are not built to withstand the extreme weather.
Reports over the last few days have seen MRI scanners failing and schools closing due to a lack of cooling systems and record-breaking June temperatures, making it clear that our infrastructure is not coping.
On Wednesday, a rare red heat-health warning issued by the Met Office was extended to Friday night, covering South Wales, parts of the South of England and the Midlands. The warning has now been downgraded to amber to match the rest of the country and remains in place until tomorrow night.
Nowhere is the health risk more pronounced than in the UK’s cities, where the ‘urban heat island effect’, where heat is trapped in building and built up areas, meaning it can feel several degrees warmer than the thermometer reading.
The i Paper has asked experts from across industries to tell us how we can adapt all the UK’s cities to be able to withstand the heat.
