Khan launches London 'Heat Plan' in bid to stop heatwaves crippling capital infrastructure
Expanding access to public drinking water and blue spaces are among the priority areas of focus set out in the plan
Sadiq Khan has unveiled London's first-ever heat plan to keep Londoners safe during increasingly frequent heatwaves.
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Expanding access to public drinking water and blue spaces are among the priority areas of focus set out in the plan, entitled Heat Ready London.
Sir Sadiq Khan said he hopes it will help tackle the “huge obstacles” the city faces with rising temperatures.
It comes as the UK swelters in exceptional heat as the hottest ever June day was recorded, with provisional temperatures reaching 36.1C in Gosport, Hampshire, on Wednesday.
Heat Ready London focuses on six key sectors: the built environment, business and economy, emergency preparedness, resilience and response, health and care, green space and nature and infrastructure.
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The plan sets out a series of objectives, which includes protecting Londoners from the health impacts of rising temperatures and prioritising vulnerable people in high-risk areas.
Other objectives include ensuring buildings and green spaces are adapted to heat and provide shade, maintaining essential services and supporting economic resilience.
Some 37 areas of focus are set out in the report for the plan – including expanding access to cooling spaces and public drinking water.
Other focus points include adapting the highest risk homes to protect the vulnerable, expanding access to blue spaces, strengthening health and care system resilience and improving the resilience of critical infrastructure such as travel.
Sir Sadiq said: “Rising temperatures are no longer a future threat – they are becoming a growing reality for Londoners.
“It is affecting our communities, from homes and high streets to schools, hospitals and care services.
"That is why I am proud to unveil Heat Ready London, London’s first ever heat plan.
“This is a new vision that will help tackle the huge obstacles we face with rising temperatures.”
He said the plan is “a call to action to our partners to use this framework to drive collective delivery so we can protect lives and strengthen the resilience of our city”.
Sir Sadiq added: “We must act now.
"By working in partnership, we can ensure the benefits of climate action are shared by all Londoners and that those who are most vulnerable are protected as we build a greener and fairer London for everyone.”
A study of London’s 2022 heatwaves, which was used to form evidence for the plan, found that the extreme weather that year cost the city £1.5 billion.
Further analysis was said to have found that around one million homes in London may currently be at high risk of overheating, with more than 1,300 schools, 60 hospitals and 351 care homes located in high heat risk areas.
London fire commissioner Jonathan Smith said: “Extreme heat is no longer an occasional challenge, it’s becoming an increasingly regular risk for London, as demonstrated just this week.
“Responding to this challenge requires a joint effort from the public and organisations across London, including taking steps in advance to prevent or minimise the harm and damage caused.”
The plan has been launched during London Climate Action Week, which is said to be the largest independent climate event in Europe.
Lilli Matson, chief safety, health and environment officer at Transport for London, said: “This report highlights the increasing risks that extreme heat poses across London, including to critical infrastructure such as transport.
“The ongoing heatwave has underlined the importance of preparing for such conditions and their real-world impact on customers, staff and the transport network.”