Darya* was very happy with her holiday plans: Her short trip to Turkey coincided with the start of a heat wave in Germany. But when she returned to her flat in the northwestern city of Bochum on June 26, she was in for an unpleasant surprise. The temperature inside her apartment reached 31°C (87.8°F) - higher than the 29°C she had experienced at the Turkish seaside. Outside, temperatures were soaring to a scorching 39°C.
"This flat turns into a thermos over the summer," said Darya, describing the attic apartment where she lives with her husband and one-year-old daughter.
Her south-facing flat has no external blinds or air conditioning. Last year, Darya had to buy her own blackout curtains, and now on hot days she relies on a fan. "We tried putting frozen bottles of ice in front of the fan, but it didn't help much - it was just moving the hot air around," she says, adding that her bedroom, with its dark walls, turned into the hottest spot in the flat.
During the winter months, Darya appreciates how well the flat is shielded from the cold, thanks to its triple-glazed windows and an insulated facade. But when extreme heat occurs, these perks become liabilities. Europe's heat wave: The worst is yet to comeTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
