Experts have warned that many homes in the Netherlands can become dangerously hot during the summer.
They say Dutch houses were designed for a cooler climate and may not provide enough protection as temperatures continue to rise.
The problem also affects newly constructed and well-insulated homes. Such buildings can retain heat during prolonged periods of hot weather.
Jeroen Kluck of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences said the country must consider future temperatures when designing homes.
“The homes we design now will still be standing in 2050,” he said. “We should be calculating with the 2050 climate.”
Homes built since 2021 use standards and calculations based on climate information from 1996 and 2015.
Experts say those figures no longer reflect the extreme temperatures the Netherlands now experiences.
New standards based on the expected climate in 2033 have reportedly been developed. However, it could take years before they become official.
The delay is concerning because the Netherlands plans to build about 100,000 homes every year.
Research by Investico reportedly found that almost 10 million people live in Dutch homes that can become too hot. The figure includes about two million people aged 65 and above.
People living in cities face additional risks because buildings, roads and other surfaces retain heat.
Cities can be up to eight degrees warmer than surrounding areas. When temperatures remain high overnight, homes do not have enough time to cool down.
Keon van der Sanden, a thermophysiologist at research organisation TNO, explained why excessive heat can become dangerous.
“The body cannot shed that heat well, and the heart has to work harder,” he said.
Older people, pregnant women and people with chronic health conditions face a greater risk of heat-related illness.
The Housing Ministry acknowledged that the current overheating standards for new homes are “no longer current.” Officials said the regulations are being reviewed.
