Warm, sticky nights are becoming increasingly common in the UK.
Climate change is raising temperatures, but another often overlooked factor contributes. Walk down a city street and you will see that what were front yards a decade or so ago have now been paved and turned into driveways.
Individually, these changes might seem small, but as more gardens disappear, the increase in hard-surfaced driveways can alter the way neighborhoods heat up during the day and cool down at night. It's an issue that is suddenly on more people's minds this summer as they struggle to sleep.
According to a UK Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) report in 2025, 42% of domestic garden space is now paved over, including 55% of front garden space.
In 2005, only about 8% of UK front yards were fully paved. By 2015, that figure had tripled to roughly 24%.
