More trees are needed to cool down European cities in heatwaves – but they must be planted nearer to homes

Madrid could benefit from more trees to create shade in the summer. Mistervlad/Shutterstock Heatwaves claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people in Europe’s capital cities this summer, as they experienced record temperatures. In London, emergency wards filled with elderly patients injured after fainting in the heat. Meanwhile, the dry weather created subsidence and left homes with cracks. In Paris temperatures exceeded 40°C in late June and people struggled to carry on their lives, and…