London’s risk from rising temperatures

Staying inside in my home is like being in a dryish sauna at the moment. One of my problems is getting to and from work - I walk, but it's so hot I feel really ill by the time I arrive, even with a sunhat. I'm glad I don't have to take a bus or the tube, I gather they are awful at the moment.

I parked my car at a shopping mall car park recently, there was not a single tree or shade anywhere in sight, and when I got back to my car, it was boiling inside. It would be so useful if all open car parks were covered by solar panels. They would generate energy and also provide shade for the cars under them. There are so many things like this that could make a huge difference. Also, my high street hardly has any trees. It would make such a big difference if we had trees along the main street. They could provide shade for these super hot summer days and would also improve our air and how the street looks. 

Ultimately, climate change is here and we need to think about ways to mitigate its effects, whilst keeping our warming effects to as low as possible. 
People will scream that we need AC. We don’t. We need better designed buildings to cope with the heat. 
Insulated, well designed buildings will keep heat in during the winter and out during the summer. 
To mitigate the effects, we should adapt on days like today to close schools and businesses early. We should have cool rooms that the elderly and vulnerable can visit to cool down. We should have more water stations in central London, that serve chilled water. We should have portable misting stations that can be rolled out to high footfall traffic areas for those that wish to pass through them. 
Public spaces like libraries could be retrofitted with AC to help with groups that can use those facilities to cool down. 
Public transport will need to be adapted in the coming years to have more powerful AC, and this will require investment. 
We need to rewild our streets with better shade, trees that grow, with boulevards and less concrete! 
Finally, we should follow the French in ensuring that only shops that have automatic or closed doors can use air con. 

People may say: back in my day we would just get on with it when it was hot… but ultimately the world is hotter now, with higher humidity and less areas in London to cool down. Most of London has been paved over with skyscrapers that radiate heat and trap it at ground level. 
Heat is not a joke and should be treated seriously, but in a responsible and managed way - not an all out race to fit AC in as many places as possible. 

During the heatwave of 2022 I stayed inside (in the shade) as much as possible, drinking lots of cool drinks.  I have 2 fans at home, one in my living room and the other in my bedroom so whenever I'm in either room I turn the fans on.  This year I'm closing the blinds in my bedroom (I didn't have them last year) we've been hosing down the patio at the back to keep the house cool.  I'm in a wheelchair so find it VERY difficult to get in and out of my clothes so that's why I need to make the correct choice of clothes in the morning.  I've been able to do it quite well this year