London’s risk from rising temperatures
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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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Log into your accountJezzaLondon
Community Member 1 week agoSTOP lories delivering in London between 6am - 7pm, they can deliver at night. This would create employment, lower congestion and heat during the day
REITMANPAUL
Community Member 1 week agoTotal agreement here. I have found that the countries experiencing regular hot summers and in which a siesta is a practice at the hottest part of the day, often encourage night deliveries. Perhaps this needs to be looked at if the...
Show full commentTotal agreement here. I have found that the countries experiencing regular hot summers and in which a siesta is a practice at the hottest part of the day, often encourage night deliveries. Perhaps this needs to be looked at if the prediction is similar for UK weather.
Show less of commentlivehere
Community Member 1 week agoYou forget that human beings need to sleep at night, and to relax for a bit before they do so, in the evenings. This is particularly important for children. Where I live the council, and now Mayor Khan, choose to use our residential roads...
Show full commentYou forget that human beings need to sleep at night, and to relax for a bit before they do so, in the evenings. This is particularly important for children. Where I live the council, and now Mayor Khan, choose to use our residential roads as servicing bays for busy businesses. This means streams of vans delivering, all sizes, some getting stuck on corners of narrow streets and reversing to and fro belching out fumes into our homes. It means endless huge noisy waste vehicles visiting six times a day outside our windows. Shouting, van doors banging and screeching, noisy metal wheeled trolleys, endless banging of stacks of boxes, and etc. Exhausting and debilitating. Shift this to night time ? This would make people very ill.
Show less of commentbanplastic
Community Member 1 week agoWhen these posts say 'night deliveries' do you mean more like late evening?
Show full commentWhen these posts say 'night deliveries' do you mean more like late evening?
Show less of commentlivehere
Community Member 1 week agoWe already have deliveries all day from 6am until 11pm, which latter is late evening. This is what councils permit these days. When they say 'night deliveries' they mean all through the night. Deliveries used to be up to 8pm, then 9pm...
Show full commentWe already have deliveries all day from 6am until 11pm, which latter is late evening. This is what councils permit these days. When they say 'night deliveries' they mean all through the night. Deliveries used to be up to 8pm, then 9pm, then 11pm, and now our council has quietly started referring to midnight.
And as it all starts again at 6am, that means people can only get 6 hours sleep per night.
Show less of commentlivehere
Community Member 1 week agoThanks. Thousands of people live in London, and need to get 8 hours of good quality sleep to maintain reasonable health. Children need more sleep than 8 hours. Then there is the pollution. Residents need to be able to open their windows at...
Show full commentThanks. Thousands of people live in London, and need to get 8 hours of good quality sleep to maintain reasonable health. Children need more sleep than 8 hours. Then there is the pollution. Residents need to be able to open their windows at night, for cooler and cleaner air.
Mayor Khan must ensure that the congestion charge is 24/7, and that deliveries are banned between 8pm and 7am throughout central London. Residents shouldn't have to fight each planning and licensing application just to get deliveries restricted to a reasonable and civilised period of day and early evening.
Show less of commentShifting deliveries to the time when people need to sleep would not create employment - it would just shift the drivers to night work, which is known to damage health.
Why is there increasing demand on the NHS? Because the living environment for millions of people damages their health - noise pollution and air pollution are equally damaging.
ldwgf
Community Member 1 week agoStop anyone, developers included, from felling mature trees then planting trees that with take decades to get to the stage to provide shade and their other benefits. Make developers follow Singapore developers incorporate trees in their...
Show full commentStop anyone, developers included, from felling mature trees then planting trees that with take decades to get to the stage to provide shade and their other benefits. Make developers follow Singapore developers incorporate trees in their plans
Refuse planning permission to those who do not follow a tree incorporation design
AlinaHackney
Community Member 1 week agoRepeating some of the ideas I’ve seen above and been thinking about.
Show full commentNo.1 plant more trees wherever it’s possible, sidewalks, plazas, council estates this provides shade and cools the environment plus cleans the air. Require new builders to...
Repeating some of the ideas I’ve seen above and been thinking about.
No.1 plant more trees wherever it’s possible, sidewalks, plazas, council estates this provides shade and cools the environment plus cleans the air. Require new builders to keep trees that are there or plant more trees as part of the project. Incentives for folx to replant front gardens.
No.2 air con in public transport. This needs to be a priority. While also trying to harness the heat released into electricity,a technology that already exists.
No. 3 canopy’s in areas without shade like u see in Sevilla and southern Spain.
No.4 more flexibility at work to stay home on really hot days or at least during peak hours.
No.5 better instructions on how to keep homes cool like installing ceiling fans, using blinds or shutters during the day.
No.6 capturing rain water in the rainy months to use in the drier months.
No. 7 water fountains in public transport hubs/stations
No. Make the public paddle pools and sprinklers open earlier on in the season. Install water misters in busy areas.
banplastic
Community Member 1 week agoA house of mutliple occupation has just been built near me and they've virtually demolished the whole of the back garden. Just more dark brick. And front garden also paved over. A massive loss of shading, cooling, habitat. So sad. It...
Show full commentA house of mutliple occupation has just been built near me and they've virtually demolished the whole of the back garden. Just more dark brick. And front garden also paved over. A massive loss of shading, cooling, habitat. So sad. It replaced a beautiful bungalow.
Show less of commentJenny
Community Member 1 week agoJust done the survey but it didn't mention public toilets!!! If we're going to heed the advice to drink lots of water we need more public toilets!!! It's a scandal that you can't find these outside London! Every tube station and every bus...
Show full commentJust done the survey but it didn't mention public toilets!!! If we're going to heed the advice to drink lots of water we need more public toilets!!! It's a scandal that you can't find these outside London! Every tube station and every bus stop should have a drinking fountain and every station and bus terminal should have free toilets
Show less of commentbanplastic
Community Member 1 week agoAgree, the public toilets in my bororough are decrepid. Often no running water or just wrecked and then shut.
ironlady
Community Member 1 week agoWe need to plant more tree' and more cooler stopps in order to breath aand to avoid getti g hypo
Show full commentWe need to plant more tree' and more cooler stopps in order to breath aand to avoid getti g hypo
Show less of commentbanplastic
Community Member 1 week agoPlease can we get our front gardens back? Tax or parking incentives? I can't understand why councils are not tackling this. Nonsensical to put in SUDs but continue to let people pave over gardens. Gardens provide cooling, flood absorption...
Show full commentPlease can we get our front gardens back? Tax or parking incentives? I can't understand why councils are not tackling this. Nonsensical to put in SUDs but continue to let people pave over gardens. Gardens provide cooling, flood absorption, shade, CO2 absorption, pollination. Many more street trees and shrubs needed.
Show less of commentcatandmouse
Community Member 1 week agothe councils will do anything to make us pay because they are struggling so they introduce all these crazy ideas and call it tax because the government will not sort out the important things that matters in this country
AlinaHackney
Community Member 1 week agoI agree that all those front gardens that have been paved over should we returned green
The one and only
Community Member 1 week agoHouses and "new" big developments -including large blocks of apartments, continue to use bricks and windows to absorb heat like 100 years ago. Public buses have become mouse traps with each new version having less and smaller windows, and...
Show full commentHouses and "new" big developments -including large blocks of apartments, continue to use bricks and windows to absorb heat like 100 years ago. Public buses have become mouse traps with each new version having less and smaller windows, and either no ventilation or an unbearably loud air-condition system. The tube is an inferno, with even the seats designed to make things even worse with the heat. There is an overdose of rhetoric, with stations announcing "carry a bottle of water in hot weather" but there is NOT A SINGLE STATION with a public water fountain. More and more cars fill London car dealers without control every single day when each single street in London is saturated with cars on both sides of the road for a while now. I mean, are you serious?
Show less of commentCThreap
Community Member 1 week agoCould you not harness the heat on the underground like you do with geothermal? Install pipes throughout the tunnels and use the heat to heat hot water for buildings above and at the same time, cool the underground. Two birds with one stone.
JW
Community Member 1 week agoI have been watering the garden with a hose in the evening. I am using the car rather than walking, even for relatively short distances— I am in my 80’s
CeeCee99
Community Member 1 week agoIt's dramatically cooler walking through the park yet in my area they are building on every green space and it's getting hotter and hotter. They build right up to the pavement edge.
Show full commentIt's dramatically cooler walking through the park yet in my area they are building on every green space and it's getting hotter and hotter. They build right up to the pavement edge.
Show less of commentGnome
Community Member 1 week agoWe have installed better blinds/curtains on some windows, and will be looking at adding more in the future. Changed our pattern to keep windows closed during much of the day. Added temperature sensors to help track changes. Installed a...
Show full commentWe have installed better blinds/curtains on some windows, and will be looking at adding more in the future. Changed our pattern to keep windows closed during much of the day. Added temperature sensors to help track changes. Installed a ceiling fan in our main living room, which has helped significantly; also bought two smaller desk fans for bedrooms.
We've also increased our rain water storage capacity by 340%, giving us almost enough to make it through most droughts by topping up over window. Looking at adding more as part of existing work.
The main thing that would be great to see would be better protection on existing trees and waterways, as both help immensely, as well as stronger initiatives to plant more. Particularly along pavements/streets; there is such a huge different walking along a street with 70%+ shade than one with nothing but street lights and maybe some planters. Fewer cars, more trees please!
Show less of commentAlso, air conditioning on trains and tubes. We have two lines from our local station, one with air-con, and one without. We actively arrange our days in the summer to avoid the latter, and based on how crowded the former gets, I don't think we're the only ones. I understand that the tube has engineering barriers to providing proper ventilation, but there is no excuse on the Overground.
RACHY12
Community Member 1 week agoI was in the hospital when it was very hot outside. No Aircon at all. If we are going to get hotter summers? We need aircon. We need to be more like mainland Europe. And as other people have commented, we need more trees.
Show full commentI was in the hospital when it was very hot outside. No Aircon at all. If we are going to get hotter summers? We need aircon. We need to be more like mainland Europe. And as other people have commented, we need more trees.
Show less of commentmlwelsh
Community Member 1 week agoI live in a block of flats managed by the council which has a centralised heating system. The block is also well insulated. This makes for very comfortable and easy winters, but when temperatures near 30C in the summer it is impossible to...
Show full commentI live in a block of flats managed by the council which has a centralised heating system. The block is also well insulated. This makes for very comfortable and easy winters, but when temperatures near 30C in the summer it is impossible to keep the flat cool no matter what you do. There is no roof overhang or awning to shade the windows. I think retrofitting blocks like this to cope with future extreme heat would be a huge improvement.
Show less of commentmagnusv
Community Member 1 week agoAnd awning is such an easy win. All new buildings, especially blocks of flats should have awnings at a minimum. And order buildings should have automatic planning approval and/or HA rules override to retrofit awnings.
Show full commentAnd awning is such an easy win. All new buildings, especially blocks of flats should have awnings at a minimum. And order buildings should have automatic planning approval and/or HA rules override to retrofit awnings.
Show less of commentPeta
Community Member 1 week agoTwo years ago my husband and I visited Madrid. The temperatures were sky high, but the streets were lined with huge trees that provided a brilliant cooling shade. For me, trees are almost always the answer!
clementine02
Community Member 2 weeks ago- Provide more public water fountains/water refill points (including at tube stations!!)
- Put more shade in public areas!! Trees, or even awnings on streets/shop fronts if there is no space for trees. Provide discounts to encourage local...
Show full comment- Provide more public water fountains/water refill points (including at tube stations!!)
- Put more shade in public areas!! Trees, or even awnings on streets/shop fronts if there is no space for trees. Provide discounts to encourage local businesses to get awnings for their street
- Make white/light coloured rooftops mandatory or heavily subsidised to help absorb heat
Show less of commentmagnusv
Community Member 1 week agoCovered footpaths on the high streets would be amazing, not just for summer but also the wet seasons. And it would be a much cosier streetscape overall.
whitehorse
Community Member 2 weeks agoChange planning regulations so developers are required to plant more trees at street level, this will help lower temperatures in very built up areas like the City of London benefitting workers and residents.
Regulate air conditioning units...
Show full commentChange planning regulations so developers are required to plant more trees at street level, this will help lower temperatures in very built up areas like the City of London benefitting workers and residents.
Regulate air conditioning units which while cooling the interior, create more heat outside.
Show less of commentlivehere
Community Member 1 week agoAir conditioning saves lives, makes it possible to work or sleep in hot weather. How to deal with the heat problem?
Hallsar_Hackney
Community Member 2 weeks agoI try to do things outside early in the morning or late in the evening and stay indoors in heat of the day. I keep blinds closed on south side of house and windows shut in the day time and open them at night. I use a portable electric fan...
Show full commentI try to do things outside early in the morning or late in the evening and stay indoors in heat of the day. I keep blinds closed on south side of house and windows shut in the day time and open them at night. I use a portable electric fan to keep cool at night.
Show less of commentviahaalshah10
Community Member 2 weeks agoThe biggest challenge for me is how hot my workplace is. There are no windows, no air circulation, no air conditioning so temperature inside is usually 3 to 4 degrees higher than outside. We have complained for the past 5 years to the...
Show full commentThe biggest challenge for me is how hot my workplace is. There are no windows, no air circulation, no air conditioning so temperature inside is usually 3 to 4 degrees higher than outside. We have complained for the past 5 years to the manager and the owner, but no action has been taken. One of the biggest things that the government and mayor need to do is issue a public guidance and doctrine around what is acceptable and what is not and a route to challenge work practises to external parties. The Hearth & safety act simply does not cover the problem. We can take unpaid or sick leave, but we only get paid the statutory minimum wages.
In addition the tfl needs to improve significantly - particularly the central, jubilee, bakerloo, victoria and piccadilly lines which always have delays and are extremely hot!
Show less of commentcazbomb
Community Member 2 weeks agoI noticed a big difference in temperature between my back garden (which has a lawn and shrubs and small trees) and the street in the front of my house (which is stone/tarmac/paving). Households should not be allowed to concrete over more...
Show full commentI noticed a big difference in temperature between my back garden (which has a lawn and shrubs and small trees) and the street in the front of my house (which is stone/tarmac/paving). Households should not be allowed to concrete over more than 25% their front or rear gardens (except in exceptional circumstances, where there is a good reason for doing so). We need more green spaces, with large trees (in my local park, Finsbury Park, the shade created by the lovely London Plane trees makes such a difference in the heat, and it's great to be able to go and sit under the trees to escape the heat). Also, parks should be accessible to the public as parks, not music venues (this is especially important for people who don't have gardens). The large commercial events which now take place in several parks around London during the summer deprive local people of a much valued green space. Our Parks should be protected as green havens, which everyone can relax in and benefit from the cooling effect of trees and greenery.
Show less of commentHallsar_Hackney
Community Member 2 weeks agoI totally agree about parks not being used as music venues. I live near Victoria Park and really dislike it during the summer when a large part of it gets blocked off for festival use every summer.
Show full commentI totally agree about parks not being used as music venues. I live near Victoria Park and really dislike it during the summer when a large part of it gets blocked off for festival use every summer.
Show less of commentDeeply Trouble…
Community Member 2 weeks agoGreen spaces are slowly being eroded. In my area they are considered fair game for 5G masts, and in Orpington the council plans to build an archive storage and it's an Historic Park!! Just when developers want to cram in 100s of small...
Show full commentGreen spaces are slowly being eroded. In my area they are considered fair game for 5G masts, and in Orpington the council plans to build an archive storage and it's an Historic Park!! Just when developers want to cram in 100s of small cramped residential units with no personal space/gardens.
Show less of comment