55 h. ago ‘It happened so fast’: the shocking reality of indoor heat deaths in Arizona

Heat deaths could surge in the state as energy poverty linked to Trump’s energy and trade policies burnsIt was the hottest day of the year so far when the central air conditioning started blowing hot air in the mobile home where Richard Chamblee lived in Bullhead City, Arizona, with his wife, children, and half a dozen cats and dogs.It was only mid-June but the heat was insufferable, particularly for Chamblee, who was clinically obese and bed-bound in the living room as the temperature hit 115F (46C) in the desert city – situated 100 miles (160km) south of Las Vegas on the banks of the Colorado River. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Experts reveal the air conditioning strategy to save energy and money when you’re out

Three experts say the answer can vary depending on other factors, including comfort level, AC unit type and building insulation

Science

6 d. ago Burning Man's infamous 'Orgy Dome' is destroyed after dust storms rip through Nevada festival

The structure - an air-conditioned private tent with beds and mood lighting - was blown away on Sunday as extreme weather hit Black Rock City over the weekend.

Events

7 d. ago Should you leave the air conditioning on or off when you’re out? An expert explains

Three experts say the answer can vary depending on other factors, including comfort level, AC unit type and building insulation

Politics

7 d. ago Should the air conditioning be turned off when you're out, or left on? It depends, experts say

Some of us have been told it's more energy-efficient and cost-effective to turn off our air conditioning when we leave home for work

Politics

2 w. ago Trying to keep cool in an increasingly hot world – picture essay

The Cooling Solution is a photographic and scientific project that aims to show how people are adapting to high temperatures and increasing humidity across different countries, cultures and socioeconomic conditionsAs temperatures rise around the world, the inequality between those who can afford to stay cool and those forced to suffer is laid ever more bare. For some, air conditioning is a given; for others it is an unaffordable luxury.The photographer Gaia Squarci and researcher Jacopo Crimi visited Brazil, India, Indonesia and Italy to photograph the stories of people in extreme heat and how they are learning to adapt to it. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago As Netanyahu starves Gaza, there is a whole new battle to be fought in Israel – against complacency | Aluf Benn

Here in Tel Aviv, beaches and restaurants are packed. Amid that distraction, the PM is playing his power games and purging his generalsAluf Benn is editor-in-chief of HaaretzThe extreme heatwave that has hit our region this week does not distinguish between Israelis and Palestinians. But while we Israelis hide in our air-conditioned houses, offices and cars, the besieged residents of Gaza can only add the unbearable hot and humid atmosphere to their struggle to eat, drink and sleep, in constant fear of death. The starvation crisis that has exploded in Gaza this summer, following Israeli-imposed restrictions on the flow of humanitarian aid, continues to worsen despite mounting international pressure to allow in more food, medicine and critical supplies. And the killing has never stopped, while Israel is preparing for the next stage of the war to “annihilate Hamas”.Most Israelis are self-immunised to the horrors being endured by Palestinians in Gaza. Told by our government and mainstr...

Politics

2 w. ago What is sick building syndrome? The condition linked to air conditioners

If an air conditioning system malfunctions or isn’t properly maintained, it can become contaminated with infectious microbes

Politics

2 w. ago Passengers describe horror and panic after Italian train carriage catches fire mid

The passengers were travelling to Sorrento on an EAV train when the air conditioning unit started smoking and caught fire

Events

2 w. ago Spanish people know deadly heatwaves are now an annual event. So why are our politicians in denial? | María Ramírez

We need everyday solutions like ‘cool banks’ and shaded areas, as well as serious policies on emissions. The government must step upGrowing up in Madrid, intense summer heat was nothing unusual. I quickly learned always to cross the street in search of shade, and never to be caught out in the sun at 3pm. But as a child in the early 1980s, I never felt dizzy after spending more than a few minutes outdoors, nor did I struggle to study or sleep at home because of the heat. Back then, air conditioning was a rarity, something only Americans had. But we were fine: the stuttering fan in my mother’s Ford Fiesta was enough to keep us comfortable on holiday escapes from the capital.What is happening in Spain now goes far beyond discomfort. More than 1,500 deaths have already been linked to heatwaves this summer alone. Public-sector workers are collapsing from heatstroke on our city streets. Entire communities in the Madrid suburbs have been devastated by wildfires. On Monday, 198 weather stat...

Politics

2 w. ago Real reason UK homes don't have air conditioning and how much it costs to run

Demand for air conditioning in UK homes is now on the rise following this year's unusually hot spring and summer - but why don't more homes have it?

Society

2 w. ago Why UK homes don't have air conditioning and how much it costs to install and run

Many UK households will be wishing they had aircon amid this week's heatwave

Society

3 w. ago Drivers discover that arrow button on car dashboard is 'better than air

Motorists have been sharing a lesser-known tip about a button on the dashboard that can cool down your car more efficiently than air conditioning - and it's perfect for a heatwave

Culture

3 w. ago Warning to drivers using air conditioning wrongly as temperatures soar

Experts say incorrect use of the air con system could be adding to your fuel bill.

Events

3 w. ago Voices: Heatwave Britain could learn from Scandinavia about how to keep cool

Like the UK, Nordic countries have been hit by unusually high temperatures this summer – so how do they survive sweltering heat without air-conditioning? Here's how, explains Helen Russell, author of ‘A Year of Living Danishly’

Politics

3 w. ago I installed air conditioning in my UK home quickly and affordably

As the UK heatwaves become longer, more intense and more frequent, air conditioning is becoming an increasingly popular feature in many homes - even in the UK.

Society

3 w. ago Air conditioners can make you sick. Here’s one simple way to protect yourself

If an air conditioning system malfunctions or isn’t properly maintained, it can become contaminated with infectious microbes

Politics

3 w. ago I tried this wearable air conditioner during a heatwave – it was a total saviour

Sony’s device automatically reacts to the temperature to keep you cool

Society

3 w. ago 10 best portable air conditioners to cool your home, tried and tested

Move one of these portable ACs between rooms to circulate an icy breeze

Society

last month Friendship at 13,000 feet: how climbing in the Swiss Alps is bringing refugees together

A mountaineering project in Switzerland helps exiles from countries such as Afghanistan, Iran and Ukraine recover from trauma by conquering summitsAt 4,000 metres, conditions can be challenging. The air is thin, movement takes effort, and the ice and snow demand proper gear: warm layers, crampons, an ice axe, ropes for crossing glaciers.Yet a group of refugees in Switzerland – from Afghanistan, Iran, Palestine, Ukraine and elsewhere – say this is exactly where they have found freedom, calm and even respite from the trauma of war, political persecution and imprisonment. Continue reading...

Events