‘Heat Islands’ Make Australia’s Summer Deadlier. Only mentioned as a side note, but Australian building standards play a huge role in how people cope with extreme heat. A wood frame is thinly cladded, every wall is plaster board, no insulation. Double glazed windows are luxury items. Ask any Australian and they’ll tell you that their houses are built for hot climates but these houses heat up just as fast in summer as they loose heat in winter. It’s almost as if Australians lack understanding of basic physics.