# Heat stress dichotomy: long-term adaptation and acute shock in London domestic environments

## TL;DR

This study explores how heatwaves affect indoor temperatures in London homes and how residents respond, highlighting risks from unequal adaptive capacities.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a novel analysis of indoor heat exposure during heatwaves, complementing outdoor-focused urban heat stress discussions.

## Key findings

- Sensor data revealed indoor heatwave intensities in Southwark homes during summer 2023.
- Indoor thermal comfort was influenced by building features and socioeconomic factors like the Index for Multiple Deprivation.
- The study highlights vulnerability due to asymmetry in adaptive capacities during heat events.

## Abstract

Europe is consistently experiencing hottest summers. Understanding people’s thermal comfort and stress and responses to heatwaves has become increasingly important. While much of the literature has recognized the overheating risks in the UK’s domestic housing stock, there remain short comings in analysing residents’ indoor heat exposure during heatwaves. This research aims to investigate the mini heatwaves occurring in domestic environments and to explore the factors influencing residents’ responses to heatwaves. A sensor-enhanced housing data survey was conducted in Southwark, London, over two summer months of 2023 during heatwave events. This study integrates outdoor weather data, sensor-measured high temporal-resolution indoor environmental conditions, the Index for Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and building features to analyse indoor heatwaves and thermal comfort. The article breaks ground by advancing existing discussions of urban heat stress, which typically focus on outdoor environments, by specifically examining indoor heat exposure intensities and the associated risks owing to vulnerability from asymmetry in adaptive capacities. In addition, the article aims to complement the current heatwave classifications based on the domestic heatwaves experienced by residents.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Urban heat spreading above and below ground’.