Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has launched the capital's first-ever heat plan, titled 'Heat Ready London', warning that the city is not equipped to handle frequent extreme heatwaves driven by global warming. The plan, inspired by strategies from hot cities like Phoenix, Los Angeles, Paris, and Milan, aims to retrofit buildings with air conditioning, expand access to green and blue spaces, and prioritise poorer areas with limited parks.
Why London needs a heat plan
London has been hit by a rare red weather warning for extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 30°C by 4am in some areas. Residents have suffered on the Central Line, in tower block flats, and in cafes seeking relief. Flash flooding from heavy thunderstorms on Tuesday destroyed homes, and 300 people were trapped on a stranded train as Transport for London struggled. During the 2022 heatwave, London saw 400 premature deaths and 4,000 A&E visits, according to Khan.
Khan told Metro: 'Phoenix, for example, is a city in the USA that’s one of the hottest cities in the world. One of things they do is when it comes their roofs, they paint them a certain colour.' He added: 'Los Angeles has issues with water shortages we are looking at too. They, and places like Paris and Milan, are decades ahead of us so we’re learning from them, from the design of our buildings to the types of trees we are planting.'
Key findings from 'Heat Ready London'
The plan reveals that over 1,300 schools, 60 hospitals, and 350 care homes are at risk of overheating. It focuses on six key sectors: built environment, business and economy, emergency preparedness, resilience and response, health and care, green space and nature, and infrastructure. Some 37 areas of focus are set out, including expanding access to cooling spaces and public drinking water, adapting high-risk homes, and improving critical infrastructure resilience.
London Fire Commissioner Jonathan Smith has consulted with the Los Angeles Fire Department on wildfire prediction. He told Metro: 'They shared a lot of lessons on using AI and algorithms to predict where the fires will occur. I think there are real lessons from the USA, and Europe and Australia.'
Social justice and inequality
Khan emphasised that the heat crisis is a matter of social justice. On Collingwood Estate in Sutton, south London, residents reported 'cooking' and suffering heat exhaustion as temperatures hit 30°C by 4am. 'It is not just an issue of the environment, but of social justice,' Khan said. The plan will prioritise poorer areas with limited access to parks and gardens.
Underground air conditioning still a long way off
Despite progress, a fully air-conditioned London Underground remains distant. Khan said he has achieved 40% air conditioning on the network, but retrofitting deeper trains is difficult. 'The most efficient way to do it is when we renew stock,' he explained. Asked if the Tube will ever be fully air-conditioned, he replied: 'I hope so.'
