32 THE CLIMATE CHALLENGE Overheating – the hot topic


Overheating has become an increasingly important issue for homes. Dr Anastasia Mylona from CIBSE explains the issue further and outlines some potential solutions


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t feels odd to be talking about the impact of climate change after the UK has just experienced the coolest summer since 2015. In one sense, 2024’s summer was noticeable precisely because it bucked the trend. But it was not cooler everywhere on the planet, this year Central and Southern Europe and North America all experienced heatwaves. In future, there may be UK summers that are cooler too, but not many; the long-term global trend is of rising temperatures and a warming climate. It was, after all, only two years ago that temperatures broke the 40°C mark for


the first time in the  as a series of heatwaves hit the nation and the Met ffice issued its first-ever red warning for extreme heat. The prediction is that parts of the UK should expect temperatures over 45°C by 2050. Increased external temperatures will result in higher internal temperatures in eisting homes and flats, which could result in many of them overheating. This will impact the health of occupants; those expected to suffer most are the elderly and those with pre-existing health problems, which should be of concern to a nation with an ageing population. According to the Environment Audit Committee’s (EAC) report 2024 ‘Heat resilience and sustainable cooling’, UK heat-related deaths “are believed to have exceeded 4,500 in 2022”. The committee says this figure could rise to , annually without concerted action to adapt to the warming climate.” Overheating does not only affect the


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