Climate report warns: London not prepared for future heatwaves

As a global climate summit closes in New York, an interim report suggests that London is not prepared to handle regular temperatures of 45°C.

After the United Kingdom reached the 40°C mark for the first time in 2022, a study on the country's infrastructure was launched to gauge how well we could handle this being a regular occurrence.

The first results, published earlier this week, suggest that tube lines are not fit for purpose while many schools and care homes require improvements to withstand the harsh temperatures.

In the independent climate resilience report for London, it is also stated that many homes will be too hot in daytime conditions. These temperatures dry vegetation and create a tinderbox ripe for wildfires, as witnessed last July in Wennington.

Speaking in New York at the climate summit, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the report is a sign that we need to adapt to higher temperatures now before it is too late.

Climate Week NYC kicked off last Monday and sees dignitaries from countries around the world gathered to discuss the global climatic situation and plan how to adapt to it.

The event has taken place every year since 2009, this year is coincided with the United Nations' Climate Ambition Summit held on Wednesday.

This is a smaller event held to build momentum towards COP28, due to take place in Dubai in December, where world leaders join forces to build international cooperation towards climate-friendly policies.

The full climate resilience report for London is expected to be published in December.