Has your apartment turned into a sauna? It may be because Swedish houses are not built for hot summers. For some people, the heat is directly dangerous.
Heatwaves will become more frequent and intense due to climate change. Already, the Public Health Agency has changed its recommendations for indoor temperature for the first time in nearly two decades.
On summer, it should not be more than 26 degrees warm indoors, according to one of the guidelines and recommendations aimed at municipalities and service providers, such as elderly care. The general standard applies 24/7 to vulnerable groups – people with chronic diseases or disabilities, as well as the elderly and young children – while a slightly higher temperature may be acceptable during the day for others.
Most existing research on how health is affected by heat is based on outdoor temperature, not indoor temperature.
To increase knowledge about how people feel when exposed to heat indoors, a research project is now being started that will run for four summers. Residents in several cities will report health data, indoor temperature, and how they live.
Swedes are said to spend 90% of their time indoors. But houses are primarily built to withstand cold winters, not hot summers. For vulnerable groups, the home can become dangerous at high temperatures, according to Löhmus Sundström.
It's hard to say exactly which type of housing is at risk of becoming hazardous, according to Mare Löhmus Sundström.
Heatwaves will become stronger and longer in conjunction with climate change. This is the climate effect that is expected to have the greatest impact on Swedish public health. During the heatwave of 2018, for example, mortality rates increased among Sweden's population compared to previous summers.
People are affected differently, and the consequences can be both physical and psychological.
Especially vulnerable groups are the elderly, people with certain chronic diseases or taking certain medications, and single-person households with disabilities. The acute health effects include heat stroke, stroke, heart attack, and lung problems.
Source: National Expert Council for Climate Adaptation
