London’s risk from rising temperatures

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Discussion | Coping with hot weather in London

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The summer of 2022 saw temperatures above 40°C, the highest ever recorded in England. Climate change could bring hotter, drier summers in London, with longer, more intense heatwaves.

City Hall’s Climate Adaptation team wants to hear your experience to help inform London’s first Heat Risk Delivery Plan. 

Join the conversation 

 Thinking back to the heatwave of 2022: 

  • How did you cope with the heat in London?  
  • What helped you stay cool at home or while you were out and about? 
  • What made it better, and what made it worse?  

Thinking of this summer:  

  • What, if anything, are you doing differently to cope with the heat in London? 
  • What, if anything, does London need to help you cope with the heat? 

Please share as much detail as you can. Eleanor and Annette from City Hall’s Climate Adaptation team will be reading your comments and joining in.  

About the action plan

The London Heat Risk Delivery Plan will set out the roles and responsibilities our city needs to manage heat risk. The recommendation for this action plan came out of last year’s London Climate Resilience Review.  

Between March and September 2025, Londoners and stakeholders are invited to help inform the action plan. Read more on our background page.

 

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Comments (260)

Avatar for - Leatherback sea turtle

I note that a really good measure would be to air condition the tube but this was not an option on the list.

So this feels to me like another leading survey from the Mayor. I see this as yet another attempt to justify extra expenditure on...

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I note that a really good measure would be to air condition the tube but this was not an option on the list.

So this feels to me like another leading survey from the Mayor. I see this as yet another attempt to justify extra expenditure on bad policies like bike lanes, justified as green.

 

 

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Avatar for - Staghorn coral

During 2022 heatwave and all heatwaves, I make an effort to go to the office where I have air con. I also use Citymapper app to plan my tube journey as it gives you options for routes with air con all the way. At night I filled hot water...

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During 2022 heatwave and all heatwaves, I make an effort to go to the office where I have air con. I also use Citymapper app to plan my tube journey as it gives you options for routes with air con all the way. At night I filled hot water bottles with cold water, and wet my hair before bed. In future I am thinking of buying an air con unit. Public information campaigns helped- I now know that parks and green spaces are cooler so I go to these places when I’m feeling hot at home. The map showing cooler parts of London also is good. Water refill points are also great. 

The priority for London should be air con across all public transport, including real trains. Libraries should also all have air con so that there are free places to go to escape the heat when it gets too much.  After that, we need more access to outdoor water to bathe in. More lidos, or even just small paddling ponds. 
More should be done to design housing to keep cooler- better insulation and more buildings painted lighter colours. Flats are unbearable and the only solution right now is to buy air con.

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Air con is ok but it is also part of the problem we can only mitigate the heat with growing trees and cutting carbon emissions.

Avatar for - Koala

It always feels like workplaces are not pressured enough to deal with heat well. As it's where most of us spend most of our time, shouldn't there be limits on temperature for working? It makes the days intolerable in high summer and...

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It always feels like workplaces are not pressured enough to deal with heat well. As it's where most of us spend most of our time, shouldn't there be limits on temperature for working? It makes the days intolerable in high summer and productivity is affected but they never seem to do anything apart from provide fans which don't help much! 

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Avatar for - Tiger

We need: Trees, shade, water points, and  places where you can get wet to cool down are all important. Aircon on public transport. Better building design and retro fitting to deal with overheated buildings.  Why do we have  so much glass -...

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We need: Trees, shade, water points, and  places where you can get wet to cool down are all important. Aircon on public transport. Better building design and retro fitting to deal with overheated buildings.  Why do we have  so much glass - cold in winter and hot in summer?

I use a medical ice pack to help to get cool enough to sleep 

 

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Agreed about glass architecture it's also acoustically horrible. Vote Green!

Avatar for - Adelie penguin

Coming from France, the main thing I miss in London/my flat is having external blinds/shutters which would prevent the sun rays from hitting the window glass. Internal blinds' efficiency does not compare to external blinds. 

Discussing with...

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Coming from France, the main thing I miss in London/my flat is having external blinds/shutters which would prevent the sun rays from hitting the window glass. Internal blinds' efficiency does not compare to external blinds. 

Discussing with colleagues, there is also a need for better education, knowing when to close blinds and window and when to open them.

New development design guide should prioritise cross ventilation and heat mitigation where it conflicts with other requirements (eg daylight/sunlight).

In the street/outside; green and blue infrastructure are key.

AC should only be allowed for communal use (office, schools, hospitals etc).  

 

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Avatar for - Monarch butterfly

I've added solar control film to my living room window (west facing) and it's made a huge difference

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I was walking around Woolwich alongside the Thames the other day on a very hot day but we had to give up because of lack of shade.  We should aim for all public spaces / walkways to have enough trees, which would not only give shade but...

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I was walking around Woolwich alongside the Thames the other day on a very hot day but we had to give up because of lack of shade.  We should aim for all public spaces / walkways to have enough trees, which would not only give shade but help absorb CO2

 

I have a short commute on a modern bus (242 route) but the air conditioning doesn't exist or can't cope.  I understand some tube routes can't be cooled by AC because the heat can't be vented for the tunnel, but surely we should aim for it on new buses, like we do on new trains.

 

Is it possible for new build houses to include aircon but powered by solar panels rather than contributing to greehouse gases?

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I literally have oak saplings to give awayI cant get anyone to take them they are all worried about buildings cracking and so on, not about climate collapse!!

Avatar for - Monarch butterfly

While the population suffers the consequences of extreme heat, scientists are in the lab spending taxpayers' money developing gadgets to control the time.

China has already raised the second atomic sun, and we here discussing what to do...

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While the population suffers the consequences of extreme heat, scientists are in the lab spending taxpayers' money developing gadgets to control the time.

China has already raised the second atomic sun, and we here discussing what to do about the high temperatures, let's all watch the movie The Truman Show and we will remember that all of this is nothing more than crowd control and a poor investment of public money.

What does China have to do with London? Action and reaction, simple basic physics.

And if the authorities want and when they want, the temperatures will change in favor of the population and they will stop blaming the population.

Let's open our minds.

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Outside shutters, fans, trees, flannels, doing nearly all work before 10am

Avatar for - Rhino

I feel lucky to be retired and able to wait for an airconditioned overground train when I can, rather than risk the high temperatures and often poor quality air on tubes and buses

Avatar for - Atlantic cod

I don't mean to be relentlessly negative but the issue here is housing, housing, housing. London's homes are not suitable for extreme heat. I think we are blocked from making progress here by the scourge of amateur landlords (who don't have...

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I don't mean to be relentlessly negative but the issue here is housing, housing, housing. London's homes are not suitable for extreme heat. I think we are blocked from making progress here by the scourge of amateur landlords (who don't have the interest or economies of scale to make improvements) and by the leasehold system (who is responsible for the roof insulation in our subdivided terrace? Who can authorise installation of a heat pump?).

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We need more trees and water coolers.  Public transport needs air con

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We need more trees and water coolers.  Public transport needs air con

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Avatar for - Tiger

A lot of purpose-built flats don't allow leaseholders to make alterations to their properties that would help residents cope with the heat (e.g. fixed AC units, awnings, external shutters).

These flats are also often poorly designed to deal...

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A lot of purpose-built flats don't allow leaseholders to make alterations to their properties that would help residents cope with the heat (e.g. fixed AC units, awnings, external shutters).

These flats are also often poorly designed to deal with extreme heat (for example floor to celing windows with no heat rejection features that create a greenhouse effect when in direct sunlight). They will soon become unlivable in the summer if climate change continues to bring us hotter summers.

The Heat Risk Delivery Plan should require the property management companies of these types of flats to future-proof their existing properties for extreme heat.

Also planting more trees along the roads to provide a canopy is a win-win (good for the environment, makes an area look nicer compared to just drab grey streets and buildings and will provide shade from heat)

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Avatar for - Adelie penguin

I am really surprised that the point around air conditioning isn’t being addressed. There is going to be more demand for AC going forward. Combined with the electrification of heating, London should be leading the conversation on installing...

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I am really surprised that the point around air conditioning isn’t being addressed. There is going to be more demand for AC going forward. Combined with the electrification of heating, London should be leading the conversation on installing air-to-air heatpumps across cities (over 80% of heat pumps installed in Norway are air-to-air, not air-to-water), which can tackle both heating and cooling needs. Planning support, financial subsidies, awareness campaigns… This feels like such a timely and big opportunity. 

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Avatar for - Adelie penguin

100% Agree

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London and other cities have contributed to the crisis by constructing far too many tall towers - most of which are badly designed and constructed - without considering the consequences. As the US has discovered tall buildings lock in heat...

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London and other cities have contributed to the crisis by constructing far too many tall towers - most of which are badly designed and constructed - without considering the consequences. As the US has discovered tall buildings lock in heat by blocking winds from cooling areas down. Where I live it has just become a massive concrete jungle and there is a noticeable increase in temperature because of it. None of the properties even have any air conditioning. It must be hell for those on the upper floors.

It has been shown too that super tall towers represent seventy per cent of carbon emissions. Some cities in the US have started to create gardens in the sky which offers natural cooling and improved air quality. However, I cannot see any of the developers or councils profiting from the never-ending building game considering such innovation, let alone the long-term implications of their plans. 

Sooner or later the water and sewage systems in London will not be able to cope with the extra numbers and then we really will have a crisis. 

Say NO to more development. 

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Avatar for - American pika

The most simple and widely-used cooling methods known as air conditioners and fans are somehow not included in the survey. They are invaluable in most tropical countries that can afford them. People overheating outside can just walk into a...

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The most simple and widely-used cooling methods known as air conditioners and fans are somehow not included in the survey. They are invaluable in most tropical countries that can afford them. People overheating outside can just walk into a business to cooldown and maybe spend some money there, too. I know you are big on environmental protection but letting people suffer over that just isn't it. There should be financial incentives for public spaces and homes to install and use A/Cs to get them up-and-running before the summers get unbearable.

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Avatar for - Polar bear

I am shocked that planting trees and campaigning to stop people replacing their gardens with tarmac isn’t even on any list here. They should be!

Avatar for - Adelie penguin

Completely agree! 

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Completely agree! 

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Avatar for - Amur leopard

we tried putting foil on our windows but it felt like a waste of money as it fell off or blew away, so we invested in reflective blinds for windows that get direct sun, mostly suction blinds that we can remove but some fitted and while it...

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we tried putting foil on our windows but it felt like a waste of money as it fell off or blew away, so we invested in reflective blinds for windows that get direct sun, mostly suction blinds that we can remove but some fitted and while it makes a difference, it's the double glazing we put in that made the most difference. insulation is really hard in a brick terrace, we need grants and funding and sustained investment to provide better insulation in the many London homes that were not designed to cope with the temperatures climate change is bringing.

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We use mylar sheeting (survival bag stuff), with white fabric each side (it needs this to be effective at insulating and reflected radiant heat). E.g. pillowcases, some strongly sticky tape, and pieces of mylar cut to fit inside the...

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We use mylar sheeting (survival bag stuff), with white fabric each side (it needs this to be effective at insulating and reflected radiant heat). E.g. pillowcases, some strongly sticky tape, and pieces of mylar cut to fit inside the pillowcases, hung inside the bay side windows. Our double glazing seems not to make any difference. 

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Avatar for - Colombian spotted frog

I would love there to be a maximum work temperature. There are people doing construction in non temp managed buildings, carrying heavy loads and working with machinery. It seems like 35 is well above a safe operating temperature with no...

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I would love there to be a maximum work temperature. There are people doing construction in non temp managed buildings, carrying heavy loads and working with machinery. It seems like 35 is well above a safe operating temperature with no official rules regarding water breaks or provision of fans etc. Never mind the hot commutes. 

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Avatar for - Vaquita

Renewable energy systems should be mandatory on all new build developments.


Timeline

STAGE: Evidence gathering

Launch of the London Climate Resilience Review

Happened

London’s changing climate

Happened
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Londoners have responded 927 times

Find out more
STAGE: Programme launched

London Climate Resilience Review is published with a recommendation to create the London Heat Risk Delivery Plan

Happened
STAGE: You said, we did

Report on impacts of climate change published

Happened
Read our update
STAGE: Evidence gathering

London Heat Risk Delivery Plan programme launches

Happened
STAGE: Evidence gathering

March-September 2025: Stakeholder engagement to help inform the London Heat Risk Delivery Plan (including here on Talk London)

Happened

Shaping London's Heat Plan

Happening now
-

Londoners have responded 961 times

Start the survey
STAGE: Programme design

September 2025 - March 2026: Drafting of the London Heat Risk Delivery Plan

Happened
STAGE: Programme launched

Spring 2026: Publication of the London Heat Risk Delivery Plan

Happened