New analysis shows almost 5.5 million children in England, over half, live in homes at risk of overheating. Over a million are in London, mostly in social housing.

Keisha has lived in her new-build flat in Woolwich, south-east London, for eight years. Keisha’s housing association says that when the block was constructed, “it met all planning and building regulations at the time, however, along with most properties in the UK, with the extreme temperatures we’re now seeing, these buildings were not designed or built in a way which would keep them cool”.

Dr. Amaran Uthayakumar-Cumarasamy, an NHS paediatrician and Medact member, warns that overheating signs in children include confusion, irritability, high body temperature, and nausea. With worsening climate crises and extreme heat, urgent action on unsafe UK housing is needed.

A government spokesperson said: “We are investing £13.2bn to improve up to five million homes over this Parliament, boosting the energy efficiency of housing to cope with higher temperatures.