‘Bodies start to cook’: poor housing in remote communities puts lives at risk in northern Australia heatwave

With heatwave conditions forecast for many remote communities in the Northern Territory, there are fears that poor-quality housing could put lives at risk. Photograph: Alana Holmberg/The Guardian

Homes in remote communities that are so poorly insulated they rise to temperatures that can “cook bodies” will put people’s lives at risk in the coming days as a dangerous heatwave hits northern Australia.

Temperatures are expected to pass 40C in parts of the Northern Territory, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, which has issued a heatwave warning for regions including the Daly, Arnhem, Carpentaria, Gregory, Barkly, Lasseter and Tanami.