London’s risk from rising temperatures

Please, please get creative in sorting out the air conditioning on the tubes and buses. They are currently unsafe how hot they get. 

Close all windows and blinds after the cool morning air has dissipated and only open again when outside air becomes cool again. Warm shower before bed. Cotton loose clothing. Drink plenty of water. Use water spray to face when travelling. 

I run a community allotment. We have rests in shade in. I soak my sunhat which has a flap to cover my neck. We changed to only morning sessions 4 years ago, so finish before afternoon heat. 

I kept my windows open 24/7. The problem with that is that there was a lot os mosquitos and flies entering my home. I didn't have a fan nor A/C, there was nothing I could do besides that, and keeping a bucket with water near my bed, to help humidify my bedroom.

The biggest problem is with buses and the undeground. The public transportation is not designed for hot weather. The daily commute to work was simply miserable.

This year I bought a fan. But the models sold in the UK are not good, if you compare to the ones sold in warm countries. I also keep the lights at home off, when I need to keep the windows open for a long time. That helps to not attract as many mosquitos as before.

London has to improve the climate comfort in public transportation. We have the most expensive system in the world, it is a shame that it is doesn't even have A/C.

Shutters, tall trees, cheap public pools:

Don't think short-term!
London buildings could keep the heat out if they had proper shutters on the outside, and people would be told to keep them down during the hot hours. This makes a world of a difference (I now from growing up in Germany, and this is also used in other European countries like Italy) and doesn't require constant electricity like ACs or fans. We should have started adopting this a while ago.

On the go / in the tube etc
When it gets hot in London generally, I always carry not just a water bottle, but also a handheld fan and water mist spray. When you're dealing with heat, even just a temporary relief or the illusion of control can help. 
Anything from 28 degrees is too much for my body, so I like being prepared. Fe

Personal coping methods - at home
The heatwave of 2022 was unbearable, working from home in the top of an old building. 
A small fan pointed at my face gave some relief, as well as a wet small towel on my back or shoulders. Without that towel i would not have been able to sleep either.

We did not have a large stand-up fan back then for the bedroom, so this year we will likely be using that a lot. 
Just imagine how many people will have bought fans and will be using all that extra electricity now! 

Personal coping methods - Outside
1. Going anywhere with tall trees that give shade (you keep streets cool this way, and parks). Going anywhere with water to stick your feet in ( I even considered the V&A's madjeski garden or public fountains like at central st martins).
2. Free public water fountains are SO important.
3. Bathing: Germany has lots of cheap outdoor lidos surrounded by greenery that everyone flocks to as soon as it gets hot - people spend hours there and cool down in the pool intermittently.  The places usually are quite simple, so the prices are not high, and there's usually somewhere to get both ice cream as well as savoury snacks.
Here in london we seem to have a lot fewer lidos and it takes a while

Reduce the space in our city devoted to cars which sit around parked 90% of the time. We need cleaner public transport (i.e. electric buses or trams) and better cycle provision - take away road space from cars and add shade using increased tree planting. Combustion engines also produce additional heat so ban anything except EVs from London roads.

We’ve got to find a way to remove heat from the tube system (preferably to use that heat elsewhere - especially in winter). 
Also to impose maximum office working temperature to encourage employers to create a comfortable working environment. 
Assistance with provision of room fans for those who can’t afford.

Grants available for the installation of external blinds.  

This survey is blunt, patronising and ignores key issues. It puts the onus on non-expert residents to identify the most effective cooling methods (from an extremely short list), rather than key government expert consultants. 

Disappointed not to see a focus on air conditioning on the tube and in tube stations in the lists of potential answers here. To me, this is the obvious issue when it comes to heat in London, along with every public outdoor swimming space either being very expensive to access, or booking up very quickly. 

Can I just also add as someone with a Sociology BSc that this survey seems very unprofessional and at times as if the author is not sure what they are measuring and which research questions they are trying to answer. Quite random and not balanced in the response options at all, as well. Not sure if any useful insights can be gained from this exercise tbh. 

Our public transport is not equipped to cope with even marginally warmer weather. Most busses are fitted with only a few, very small windows and I have never experienced a route master on which the A/C works. Commuting in Westminster is a miserable experience generally, due to the bizarre ongoing works to Lambeth Bridge and surrounding areas, but it is extra hellish in summer months as TfL has failed to make small but impactful changes. 

Heat indoors in many places is awful during heatwaves. Buildings warm up and then retain that heat for days, so even if the night is cooler, you are still sweltering in your bed. Councils should permit and encourage the installation of proper outside (outdoor) shutters, like in southern countries, to insulate the windows against sun radiation. In most buildings this is currently not permitted due to conservation rules etc. Similarly relax rules around installing air conditioning. A lot of people  ow work from home, and it is hard to be working in heat. 

Also more shaded areas in public spaces, squares, gardens - benches with covers etc. Pergolas with some greenery are the best. Overall bodies of water and thickly planted trees are proven to be be best for cooling the area. 

We've had some local buses upgraded in our area to air-conditioned ones - would be great to see more of these in the future. Not much can be done about the tube from what I understand. 

Individual responsibility should take priority before any policy or otherwise. People should be encouraged to to look after themselves. We are adults. The government (and Mayor Khan't) should leave us alone. The Mayor should not spend my money on nonsense.

Whilst the GLA ask us about Heat Risk and how to mitigate it thay have approved the removal of 800+ trees in Wimbledon Park and loss of green space to be replaced by 38 tennis courst. Thus exposing future generations to risk of extreme heat.   

I was moved to make a change about how we cope with the heat in my local community. I contacted Thames Water who were very helpful and gathered their information on water usage, heating and how to keep cool safely. I then produced a ten point guide for my local community on water usage, heat control and looking after yourself. As a local Changmaker I then contacted my local public health team who adjusted and produced the leaflet . The leaflet was then was made available in all Newham Library and Health fairs. 

So if anyone out there is concerned about the situation, you can make a difference. Just do what you can in your little part of London and see what happens. 

Go for it. 

As a London National Park City Ranger ( a scheme sponsored by the Mayor) we have a saying…. Do London Differently!! 

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.

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.

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.