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 (327)

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Great to see so many comments about living with extreme heat in London. Thanks for taking the time to add your comments. This is much appreciated to inform what more London needs to do to manage extreme heat in today's changing climate.

Avatar for - Ringed seal

I’m on a certain type of medication that makes me more susceptible to heatstroke. My disabilities already make it very difficult for me to leave the house, and high temperatures make that nigh on impossible without high risk of heatstroke...

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I’m on a certain type of medication that makes me more susceptible to heatstroke. My disabilities already make it very difficult for me to leave the house, and high temperatures make that nigh on impossible without high risk of heatstroke. Initiatives like planting more trees, painting roofs and streets in lighter colours, and improving the electricity grid to allow for higher load, are all proven methods of helping in a heatwave. Poorer neighbourhoods are more likely to lack greenery and are therefore often hotter than wealthy ones.

I think there should be government initiatives to make homes, hospitals and public transport cooler; maybe something similar to the winter fuel payment for households. So many people (e.g. the elderly, infants, the disabled, etc) are more prone to heatstroke and hospitals become overwhelmed when a heatwave hits.

The survey didn’t mention expanding air conditioning access, which is concerning to me. Air conditioning needs to become much more widespread, and energy prices need to be capped to allow for homes and businesses to actually use it without breaking the bank. Spending on expanding air conditioning access now will prevent future and current strain on health services & unnecessary heat related deaths.

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Avatar for - Vaquita

I think a air purifier approach would be a better concept as I feel managing the ambient temperature through heat dissipation instead of blowing cold wet air into a room is a much better method to stay cool, 

An air purifier combined with a...

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I think a air purifier approach would be a better concept as I feel managing the ambient temperature through heat dissipation instead of blowing cold wet air into a room is a much better method to stay cool, 

An air purifier combined with a normal fan is good enough to make a room cool as well as take the dust and mould spores out of the air making it a solution to accommodate those who have breathing difficulties and underlined health conditions I know the initial problem is heat however let’s try accommodate the solution to also help the severe mould problem we also seem to get in winter too there’s been an increase risk of people developing underlying health conditions via the mould which sets them up for failure during warm periods.

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Avatar for - Amur leopard

I live in a small one bed flat (new build) with my wife and son. When we experience hot weather (or just sunny weather in summer) our flat heats up and retains heat. It can easily reach 29C with no way to cool it. 
as it’s a leasehold we...

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I live in a small one bed flat (new build) with my wife and son. When we experience hot weather (or just sunny weather in summer) our flat heats up and retains heat. It can easily reach 29C with no way to cool it. 
as it’s a leasehold we have little or no hope of making any changes to it like adding shutters on the outside of the building. 
it would be beneficial to the whole building to address this issue as a whole but there is little interest especially when costs are mentioned. If there was support to do these kinds of things from local government that would help. Until then we suffer. 

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Avatar for - Tiger

When will the Mayor ban burning? Any pretence of caring about air quality and the lives of Londoners is shown to be meaningless, if bonfires are allowed.

Avatar for - Adelie penguin

Great this is being done but there was no mention in the survey whatsoever of supporting people getting aircon. 

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Great this is being done but there was no mention in the survey whatsoever of supporting people getting aircon. 

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An interesting ‘questionnaire’, that’ll, hopefully, provide some useful ‘research’ results that’ll help, all, ‘Londoners’ and, indeed, other ‘City Dwellers’ across The U.K. too.

Avatar for - Amur leopard

The only thing to do was to stay inside with the windows and curtains closed and have an air-con unit in one room. Flats in roofs  are just not fit to live in during heatwaves.

And can’t get better insulation as it’s leasehold. 

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The only thing to do was to stay inside with the windows and curtains closed and have an air-con unit in one room. Flats in roofs  are just not fit to live in during heatwaves.

And can’t get better insulation as it’s leasehold. 

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Avatar for - Orangutan

We need regulation to force rented accommodation to be retrofitted with insulation and AC (which happens to also being you a heat pump roll out at almost no extra cost).

 

currently even if you have specific health needs there is no option of...

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We need regulation to force rented accommodation to be retrofitted with insulation and AC (which happens to also being you a heat pump roll out at almost no extra cost).

 

currently even if you have specific health needs there is no option of AC for renters who can't afford every aspect of luxury apartments.

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Current regulation for new builds is to connect to a heat network as it was assumed that all air conditioning expels heat for the urban island effect. The unintended consequence of this is that residents would get heat from heat networks...

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Current regulation for new builds is to connect to a heat network as it was assumed that all air conditioning expels heat for the urban island effect. The unintended consequence of this is that residents would get heat from heat networks and have to buy their own A/C or fans. Whereas if heating solutions that also do cooling were required eg Ground source loops at estates or water source heat pumps residents would be cool. Even standard ASHPs can be reversed for cooling to air emitters.

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Avatar for - Sea turtle

It’s reached point where I try hard to avoid taking the tube because of the unbearable temperatures on most lines, but even walking around the city in the summer is a challenge, especially in direct sun. The following would make a...

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It’s reached point where I try hard to avoid taking the tube because of the unbearable temperatures on most lines, but even walking around the city in the summer is a challenge, especially in direct sun. The following would make a difference to me:

  • More street shade such as trees
  • More public drinking water fountains
  • Efforts to cool public transport
  • Better ventilation on buses
  • Improving air quality on the tube 

I don’t believe widespread AC is a good solution, as it will make the outside air hotter. 

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Avatar for - Adelie penguin

As Building Regulations Part O dealing with overheating only came into force in June 2022, it is obvious that most buildings built before then will need retrofitting of passive cooling measures or the introduction of active cooling measures...

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As Building Regulations Part O dealing with overheating only came into force in June 2022, it is obvious that most buildings built before then will need retrofitting of passive cooling measures or the introduction of active cooling measures (e.g. aircon). Blocks of flats with windows that open inwards need external shutters. Planning permission for air conditioning to be installed en masse in blocks of flats will need to happen. Whilst planning permission is dealt with at a local council level, this will need to be coordinated across London otherwise we risk some areas falling behind in adapting to climate change.

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Avatar for - Tiger

You can bet nothing will happen no matter how many die, especially in single aspect flats, especially private. One 10 year old highrise high risk has had a bad fire, but the ventilation system has NEVER been serviced or maintained, and the...

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You can bet nothing will happen no matter how many die, especially in single aspect flats, especially private. One 10 year old highrise high risk has had a bad fire, but the ventilation system has NEVER been serviced or maintained, and the corridor doors which should be kept open on a magnetic catchare often shut, preventing any air flow. There are no fire extinguishers, and no audible fire alarms, in the entire building. Management, letting agents and fire brigade all know, and don't care. As leasehold, and some tenanted, nobody has money nor any consent to do anything. 50 degrees on balconies at higher levels, so no opening the windows . But no through draught anyway, due to the single aspect design. Corridors approach the danger level of 35 degrees.

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Avatar for - Adelie penguin

My flat gets ridiculously hot in the summer, and things that are common in countries like Italy would help so much – shutters for the windows, canopies to create shade. Air con would be so useful too, particularly on the tube! 

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My flat gets ridiculously hot in the summer, and things that are common in countries like Italy would help so much – shutters for the windows, canopies to create shade. Air con would be so useful too, particularly on the tube! 

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Avatar for - Adelie penguin

Remove regulatory barriers to air conditioning. My portable AC unit was a lifesaver this summer, nothing else worked. Extreme heat deaths are much lower in the US where AC is common. AC is not bad for the planet (and is only getting cleaner...

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Remove regulatory barriers to air conditioning. My portable AC unit was a lifesaver this summer, nothing else worked. Extreme heat deaths are much lower in the US where AC is common. AC is not bad for the planet (and is only getting cleaner) as it draws power at the times when solar panels are supplying most power to the grid.


Also why is your survey asking me if winters are wetter or how much reflective roofs would cool houses? Those are scientific questions you should answer with scientific models. The general public’s opinion is not relevant. 

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A/C does use electricity though, even if it comes from the grid on a hot sunny day is probably low carbon. Matching A/C with solar if possible is good. Many A/C solutions do send the heat into the air though which London wnats to minimise. ...

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A/C does use electricity though, even if it comes from the grid on a hot sunny day is probably low carbon. Matching A/C with solar if possible is good. Many A/C solutions do send the heat into the air though which London wnats to minimise. 

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Avatar for - Adelie penguin


 

The Tube is the worst part of it all — and a real health hazard. There is ample evidence showing that temperatures on many lines are rising year by year.


 

While I’m not a huge fan of air conditioning due to CO2 emissions, installing an...

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The Tube is the worst part of it all — and a real health hazard. There is ample evidence showing that temperatures on many lines are rising year by year.


 

While I’m not a huge fan of air conditioning due to CO2 emissions, installing an appropriate cooling system on the Tube would significantly improve passenger experience. It could also encourage more people to choose public transport over driving or using Uber — options that often result in higher emissions. In the long term, this could help TfL boost ridership and revenue.


 

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Avatar for - Koala

Adaptation AND mitigation. Accessible external shading products for the masses (current products are too expensive and burdensome to install - London is a city of renters, remember!) and a huge tree planting initiative. The difference in...

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Adaptation AND mitigation. Accessible external shading products for the masses (current products are too expensive and burdensome to install - London is a city of renters, remember!) and a huge tree planting initiative. The difference in temperature in green spaces vs hard pavement zones is staggering.

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Avatar for - Tiger

Drinking more water - Keeping hold of a spray fan, getting up earlier.

Creation of shade spots - esp in areas you want more footflow - walking market - near retailers and drinking water taps

Avatar for - Saola

I cope ok with the heat as my home is very cool and i keep curtains and windows shut in Summer.  It is winner and cold Damm weather that i find hard to cope with

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I cope ok with the heat as my home is very cool and i keep curtains and windows shut in Summer.  It is winner and cold Damm weather that i find hard to cope with

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Avatar for - Adelie penguin

Firstly I think a lot could be done to reduce street surface temperatures from more trees or fabric canopys to just reducing traffic as cars just exacerbate the heat. 

I think having misting stations around the city where people can cool...

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Firstly I think a lot could be done to reduce street surface temperatures from more trees or fabric canopys to just reducing traffic as cars just exacerbate the heat. 

I think having misting stations around the city where people can cool down is great as well as having maps that let me know where airconditioned venues are in their area so they can stay cool. The city of Geneva has done this really well and they even offer free cinema tickets to elderly/vulnerable people in heatwaves so they can stay somewhere cool.

It was super frustrating that when it was 40C in London a few years back I just really wanted to go swimming but couldn't access anywhere as it was all fully booked. It was made all the more annoying when the Lee River is so close by but too full of raw sewage for people to be able to swim in. So long term we really need to clean up our waterways so people can actually access spaces to keep cool.

Finally as a private renter I have no control over my living space and making it better for dealing with extreme heat. I used to live in a top floor flat in a converted house where if it got hot in summer I just had to be out all day as it was too stifling indoors. I then moved somewhere with high ceilings so its much better in extreme heat but in winter it is an absolute fridge. So really landlords need to be forced to make their properties suitable for these different conditions. I would love to see landlords have to meet a minimum energy rating for all private rental properties (because a D rating in winter is awful). This would force them to adequately insulate properties so they are better for both extreme heat and extreme cold. I also think having external shutters installed would be fantastic so you can keep your house cooler (as closing your curtains is nowhere near as effective as the heated window glass makes the room warm). I also would want all properties to have double glazing as an absolute minimum.

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Avatar for - Tiger

The problem with these ideas for people to walk around and reach cooling centres is that NOT everyone can safely leave their home, so must stay and fry till they die, in a high rise. As you rightly say, London is full of renters with no...

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The problem with these ideas for people to walk around and reach cooling centres is that NOT everyone can safely leave their home, so must stay and fry till they die, in a high rise. As you rightly say, London is full of renters with no control of living conditions. London is also full of PRIVATELY RENTED FLATS, which the cosseted people in power seem not to know about.   

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Avatar for - Sea turtle

I think one of the biggest problems in rented homes is lack of insulation and single-glazed windows. During the heatwaves, my top floor flat was regularly hotter than outdoors before the afternoon, despite keeping curtains drawn and opening...

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I think one of the biggest problems in rented homes is lack of insulation and single-glazed windows. During the heatwaves, my top floor flat was regularly hotter than outdoors before the afternoon, despite keeping curtains drawn and opening all windows at night. It's a structural problem that old houses aren't getting modernised. Plus, there aren't enough public spaces with air-conditioning to cool off during the day.

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Avatar for - Tiger

Any money for healthy able bodied people to go and get cool, is money taken from taxing people too old or disabled to leave their oven-hot, high rise flats, yet not providing even one second of thought that those people exist, let alone...

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Any money for healthy able bodied people to go and get cool, is money taken from taxing people too old or disabled to leave their oven-hot, high rise flats, yet not providing even one second of thought that those people exist, let alone providing any help for them. It is Age Discrimination, and Disability Discrimination. But nobody in councils, government or city hall cares at all about the law

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Avatar for - Sea turtle

  • AC on public transport
  • More water fountains in public parks
  • Planting trees on streets without them


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
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Londoners have responded 1342 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