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 (499)

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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.

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Shouldn't you consult an expert/professional city planner not the public? 

 

I don't understand the UK governments focus on public consultation at all - is there any evidence it produces good results? 

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Shouldn't you consult an expert/professional city planner not the public? 

 

I don't understand the UK governments focus on public consultation at all - is there any evidence it produces good results? 

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Avatar for - Polar bear
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In terms of equity and climate justice, yes. How are planners supposed to design fair, effective solutions if they don’t know what the people who actually live and experience heatwaves need and struggle with? There is a lot of research out...

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In terms of equity and climate justice, yes. How are planners supposed to design fair, effective solutions if they don’t know what the people who actually live and experience heatwaves need and struggle with? There is a lot of research out there that proves this.

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All of the pre-populated responses were just fluff around the edges, which was disappointing to see. I was hoping this was going to get feedback to support the obvious and only real solution: relaxing planning rules on air conditioning and...

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All of the pre-populated responses were just fluff around the edges, which was disappointing to see. I was hoping this was going to get feedback to support the obvious and only real solution: relaxing planning rules on air conditioning and expanding it as much as possible to workplaces, public buildings, etc. and having it as standard in all new builds.

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I draw blinds in the day and open windows at night. I’d like to install shutters. I leave out water for wildlife and add water to cat food. I don’t go out at the hottest times. I seek shade. I water new trees that my council has planted. I...

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I draw blinds in the day and open windows at night. I’d like to install shutters. I leave out water for wildlife and add water to cat food. I don’t go out at the hottest times. I seek shade. I water new trees that my council has planted. I save water from when my shower is warming up and use it to water plants in the evening. I keep hydrated. I rail against Trump and oil / plastic companies who put ridiculously high profits before everything else. Congestion zones should be bigger. New builds should have solar and pv windows. Car parks should have solar. Tax the fuck out of SUVs that take up too much space and sporty engines.

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Avatar for - Sumatran elephant
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Thanks for caring about the public opinion.

Among the many things, we should look into a better system of ventilation on public transport for both summer and winter - on a single day this week I went from artic temperatures on only one...

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Thanks for caring about the public opinion.

Among the many things, we should look into a better system of ventilation on public transport for both summer and winter - on a single day this week I went from artic temperatures on only one carriage of a Southern train to tropical climate on a bus in South West London, where all its tiny little windows were open while the air con was full blast spitting out hot air. I could say the same, on reverse, for a journey I make on a cold winter day.

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I have recently purchased a new build. The developer was incentivised by the government to add a heat pump system for climate reasons.


If you know anything about heat pumps, you’d know they can be reverse cycle. They add and subtract heat.


In...

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I have recently purchased a new build. The developer was incentivised by the government to add a heat pump system for climate reasons.


If you know anything about heat pumps, you’d know they can be reverse cycle. They add and subtract heat.


In the UK, you can only be subsidised for one that adds heat. Even though functionally and in terms of energy they’re identical.


Our homes are still designed to trap heat, yet our ability to rid ourselves of it is impossible. 

I’ve spent £15,000 adding reverse cycle air conditioning to my home (yes, it’s less than a year old & the system I added can add heat too).


This is ridiculous. Legislation around this is ridiculous. And frankly, people will start dying or leaving because of how insane this is. 

Please update the building standards so that heat extraction is equally important and controllable as heat collection. 
 

The world is hotter now. Snow doesn’t fall as often in London.


We must adapt. FYI I’m Australian and think this is bonkers.

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Our house 60s-built house has huge windows that face the sun from dawn to dusk. It is unbearable upstairs, particularly as we are in our late 70s. But the Scheme of Management where we live won't allow changes that affect the look of the...

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Our house 60s-built house has huge windows that face the sun from dawn to dusk. It is unbearable upstairs, particularly as we are in our late 70s. But the Scheme of Management where we live won't allow changes that affect the look of the property to mitigate the effect of the heat, e.g. external shutters. We have triple glazing, solar window film, blackout blinds and blackout curtains but still upstairs is unbearable. Of course we follow common sense and keep everything closed until the sun has gone down, and only then do we open the windows. I am very concerned for our well-being.

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Lack of drinking water refill stations particularly in the underground and around London make traveling feel really dangerous, trains get so hot I have had to get off due to the heat on numerous occasions for health reasons access to water...

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Lack of drinking water refill stations particularly in the underground and around London make traveling feel really dangerous, trains get so hot I have had to get off due to the heat on numerous occasions for health reasons access to water at each station would make a massive difference

 

Thank you

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PS: Why can people get a grant for an air-water heat pump but not for air-air?

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Last year I installed just one air-air heat pump which serves my bedroom and my study. It cost less than £5,000. It is fantastic! I will be saving up for another as I feel sorry for any guests in the spare room! Given that our health can be...

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Last year I installed just one air-air heat pump which serves my bedroom and my study. It cost less than £5,000. It is fantastic! I will be saving up for another as I feel sorry for any guests in the spare room! Given that our health can be affected adversely when the temperature is above 25 degrees this was a brilliant investment. I always have green electricity so in the winter I can use it for heating and in the summer for cooling. 

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Need a wide variety of urban interventions.

Plenty of leafy trees, shaded bus stops, water fountain features, drinking water points, effective fans on TFL, cool spaces in public buildings.

Funding to repair and maintain the above points.

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Increased green infrastructure is key. SuDS, tree planting, depaving pointless concrete areas, green roofs and walls, etc. Trees offer invaluable refuge and cool the air against the brutal heat in cities. Also, as a regular year-round lido...

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Increased green infrastructure is key. SuDS, tree planting, depaving pointless concrete areas, green roofs and walls, etc. Trees offer invaluable refuge and cool the air against the brutal heat in cities. Also, as a regular year-round lido user I'd love to see investment in more quality 50m pools. They are great for mental and physical well-being and offer a rare way to cope in the intense heat.  

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Why do TFL not have a mandatory tree planting programme for red routes in and around London already? We have been raising this with TFL for many years but our requests have been ignored year after year.

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We need to stop making such a big deal of the heat. Air Con on tubes would be great though. 

The climate crisis is real, and needs to be fixed at source with the Net Zero transition. We don't need City Hall funding community events, or...

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We need to stop making such a big deal of the heat. Air Con on tubes would be great though. 

The climate crisis is real, and needs to be fixed at source with the Net Zero transition. We don't need City Hall funding community events, or running advertising campaigns about carrying water. Our bodies tell us when we are hot. 

I would rather the money is spent on more police so that when the weather is hot, and we go to the park, or head to a blue space, that we feel safe doing so. Not at risk of having our phones stolen or our women at risk of sexual abuse. 

If you want people to use public spaces better to cope with the heat, make them safe spaces - not in a woke way - in a literal way. More police presence etc. 

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I agree on FUNCTIONIGAir con on Tubes and buses.

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We used to live in a conservation zone, Victorian terrace where you couldn’t get permission to alter the facade. We would have happily added external shutters to keep the heat out. Making sure these initiatives can actually happen would be...

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We used to live in a conservation zone, Victorian terrace where you couldn’t get permission to alter the facade. We would have happily added external shutters to keep the heat out. Making sure these initiatives can actually happen would be a great idea. Our current house was built in 1983 - it’s better insulated, double glazed etc; so much more resilient in the heat. But again, in a conservation area necessary external changes may be hard. In 2022 we closed curtains & windows in the day etc. we have solar panels now but would like to do more - making these initiatives more affordable is key (we don’t have any more money to undertake them !).

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July 2022 we shut the curtains, windows and doors.  With a 1926 solid wall bungalow that worked but not on the Tuesday when the temperature was 40 degrees

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July 2022 we shut the curtains, windows and doors.  With a 1926 solid wall bungalow that worked but not on the Tuesday when the temperature was 40 degrees

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I have a baby and toddler. We wait during cold winter months for warm sunny days where we're no longer cooped up inside. Now our summers are a few nice sunny days with bursts of heatwaves. it's manageable in the park if there's a breeze and...

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I have a baby and toddler. We wait during cold winter months for warm sunny days where we're no longer cooped up inside. Now our summers are a few nice sunny days with bursts of heatwaves. it's manageable in the park if there's a breeze and a lot of trees but deadly on a bus and walking along dead urban zones. Dead zones = all concrete, no flora fauna, where the sun hits the pavement and makes it feel hotter than it already is! Just terrible. It's dangerous for the children and breastfeeding mothers like myself. I'm constantly pushing water on myself and children and still get headaches from dehydration.

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22 is too far back to remember clearly. August has often been unpleasanantly humid/hot but now it goes on longer.

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The government know the answer, we need to adopt the idea of having air conditioning in schools, all trains/tubes/buses and homes like in the USA, Asia and Australia. 

They are beating around the bush instead of creating an investment plan...

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The government know the answer, we need to adopt the idea of having air conditioning in schools, all trains/tubes/buses and homes like in the USA, Asia and Australia. 

They are beating around the bush instead of creating an investment plan for country wide air conditioning 

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london is seriously lacking outdoor swimming pools. there needs to be lidos, rooftop pools, swim safe lakes easily accessible to everyone. water misting is also a good idea outside of train/tube stations so when people come out of the tube...

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london is seriously lacking outdoor swimming pools. there needs to be lidos, rooftop pools, swim safe lakes easily accessible to everyone. water misting is also a good idea outside of train/tube stations so when people come out of the tube that instant relief is right there along with cold drinking water. also all public transport needs to have good, working air conditioning, because at the moment only elizabeth line and a few commuter trains are up to par

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It says “add comment” but what about and what is the context? It all seems rather sad, or it’s been designed by a 20-something. Remember that us oldies grew up with pen and paper.


Timeline

STAGE: Evidence gathering

Launch of the London Climate Resilience Review

Happened

London’s changing climate

Happened
-

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 2301 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