London launches first heat plan

June 27, 2026

London has introduced its first comprehensive strategy to help the city withstand rising temperatures and increasingly frequent heatwaves. The new Heat Ready London plan outlines a long-term roadmap to protect residents, strengthen infrastructure, and improve climate resilience as extreme heat becomes a growing challenge across the UK.

The initiative was announced during London Climate Action Week as forecasts warned temperatures could approach 40°C. The plan recognizes that extreme heat is no longer an occasional event but an escalating climate risk requiring coordinated action across government, businesses, healthcare providers, and local communities.

London faces rising heat risks

Climate data shows London is particularly vulnerable to overheating compared to other parts of the United Kingdom. The city recently recorded its highest-ever May temperature of 35.1°C, while experts project that severe heatwaves could become two to three times more frequent within the next two decades.

According to the report, approximately one million homes across London are already considered at significant risk of overheating. In addition, more than 1,300 schools, 60 hospitals, and 350 care homes are located in areas identified as having high exposure to extreme heat.

Researchers estimate that the devastating 2022 heatwaves cost London around £1.5 billion, considering impacts on healthcare, education, emergency services, transport, energy demand, productivity, and wildfire response.

Five priorities for a heat-resilient capital

The Heat Ready London strategy establishes five primary objectives designed to reduce heat-related risks while improving the city's long-term resilience.

These priorities include:

• Protecting residents from heat-related illness and deaths.
• Reducing inequalities by prioritizing vulnerable communities.
• Creating cooler neighborhoods through better building design, shade, and green infrastructure.
• Safeguarding critical services and transport systems during heatwaves.
• Supporting economic productivity despite increasingly hot summers.

The plan also identifies 37 priority actions that should be delivered over the short, medium, and long term.

Expanding cooling infrastructure

One of the strategy's central goals is to make cooling resources more accessible across London.

Key measures include expanding public cooling spaces, installing additional drinking water refill stations, increasing tree planting, creating more shaded public areas, and improving access to rivers, lakes, and other safe blue spaces where residents can cool down during periods of extreme heat.

Urban greening plays a major role in the strategy, as vegetation helps lower local temperatures while also improving air quality, reducing flood risks, and enhancing biodiversity.

Retrofitting buildings to reduce overheating

Many existing buildings were never designed for prolonged periods of extreme heat. The new plan prioritizes upgrading homes that face the greatest overheating risk, particularly those occupied by elderly residents and other vulnerable groups.

Future development will also continue to incorporate heat-resilient architecture, including improved ventilation, external shading, and smarter building design that reduces reliance on energy-intensive air conditioning.

Protecting healthcare and critical infrastructure

Healthcare services are expected to experience growing pressure as temperatures continue to rise.

The strategy calls for stronger coordination between health providers, emergency services, and local authorities to improve communication during heat emergencies and better protect high-risk populations.

Critical infrastructure—including London's transport network—will also receive additional investment to improve reliability during prolonged periods of extreme heat.

Transport operators are continuing to modernize the network with more air-conditioned trains while upgrading systems to cope with hotter weather conditions.

A city-wide response to climate change

Officials emphasize that adapting to hotter summers cannot be achieved by government alone. The Heat Ready London framework encourages collaboration between borough councils, businesses, infrastructure operators, healthcare providers, environmental organizations, and community groups.

By combining practical adaptation measures with long-term investment in greener urban environments, London aims to reduce future heat-related risks while creating healthier and more livable neighborhoods.

As climate change drives more frequent and intense heatwaves across Europe, the new strategy positions London among the first major UK cities to adopt a comprehensive plan focused specifically on preparing for extreme heat and protecting both people and essential services.