Mayor Sadiq Khan has sounded an “extremely alarming” alert that London may have to endure scorching temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) due to the escalating climate crisis. He conveyed this message during a climate summit in New York, where global governments have convened to discuss strategies for dealing with the intensifying heat.
An interim independent climate resilience report for London has indicated that the city might witness multiple days with temperatures at 45 degrees Celsius “in the foreseeable future.” This alarming scenario could strain various fundamental functions of the city, including the functionality of the Underground, livability of homes during the daytime, as well as care homes and schools.
Immediate Action
sadiq khan stressed the urgency of adapting to these rising temperatures in London , emphasizing that action is needed immediately. He mentioned efforts made in London, such as planting more shade-providing trees and installing air conditioning on buses. However, Khan called for greater government support, criticizing the UK’s Conservative government for not implementing a green stimulus package similar to the US’s Inflation Reduction Act. Such support would aid in retrofitting buildings and boosting job opportunities in renewable energy.
“We are learning from other cities, but we cannot ignore that the UK has been slow to catch up,” Khan remarked in New York, ahead of the annual UN general assembly and a special climate summit. He urged a comprehensive approach to address the climate crisis and expressed disappointment that the UK’s Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, was not attending the UN general assembly and might not attend Cop28 (COP28 – Conference of the Parties), emphasizing a lack of government commitment.
London initiated its climate review in June, nearly a year after the city experienced an unprecedented, record-breaking heatwave. In July of the previous year, temperatures in London surpassed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time in recorded history, resulting in school closures, canceled hospital operations, and an extraordinary workload for the London fire brigade as it battled numerous blazes, including wildfires on the city’s outskirts.
Hotter temperatures in the future
However, the worsening climate crisis heightens the risk of even hotter temperatures in the future. According to Emma Howard Boyd, the chair of the climate review and former chair of the UK Environment Agency, London confronts the distinct possibility of enduring scorching temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius, along with increased threats like flooding, as global temperatures continue to rise.
Howard Boyd emphasized that temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius could become a reality in the coming years, similar to how temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius were once considered unthinkable until last year’s heatwave. She stressed the importance of the climate review in understanding how to ensure the city’s resilience, public health, and working conditions under these extreme conditions, as Europe experiences rapid warming compared to other regions.
Mayor Khan’s presence in New York coincides with Climate Week, a week-long summit involving numerous businesses, governments, and environmental groups. It runs alongside the UN general assembly, which includes a gathering of over 100 national governments aiming to boost global efforts to reduce emissions. The UN has issued warnings that the world is significantly off track in meeting climate goals necessary to prevent catastrophic climate change.