The ‘hottest’ part of London where the heatwave feels ‘claustrophobic’

Workers say the area is crowded, hot and ‘hard to be there’

People working in the hottest part of London have said that conditions are becoming “unbearable” during heatwaves. City of London is often named the “hottest” authority in the capital, with tall buildings trapping heat.

The UK is in the midst of a heatwave, with London right at its epicentre. Met Office has issued a rare red weather warning for extreme heat, as temperatures are set to rise to 37C today (Wednesday, June 24).

But some parts of the capital feel a lot hotter than others, largely due to a lack of shaded areas and green space. A map from 2023 by Friends of the Earth shows that London’s business district, where 676,000 people work, has very few places for people to cool-off, which would help offset high temperatures.

Dan McLaren is a store manager at Amathus wine and spirit shop in Leadenhall Market. He said that it is become “extremely hot” in the City of London during the summer heatwaves.

“I think [it’s] because all the concrete reflects the heat. It’s a nightmare, public transport is really super extreme and it’s so crowded and hot and hard to be here,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Katie, who also works across all of Amathus’ 15 London stores, said that getting around the city is especially hard in the heat as she is pregnant. “It’s not easy at all, I’ve got a fan, water – what I can to stay cool,” she said. “It’s not fun travelling around really.

“I felt quite claustrophobic walking here from the Tube because its crowded, the buildings obviously reflect a lot of heat, people smoking. I was obviously just breathing in pollution really and heat for 10 minutes.”

‘We just take a lot of breaks and drink a lot of water’

Cadrut works in construction in the City of London, close to Finsbury Square, which is a small park in the area. He said that during high temperatures working becomes “unbearable”.

“We just take a lot of breaks and drink a lot of water and that’s it – you can’t do too much because you have to keep working,” he said, adding: ” I’m worried about how hot it is now – we don’t have air-conditioning and most of the country doesn’t but, what can you do?”

Jarlenn and Maria both work at a bakery in Leadenhall Market. While their store has air-conditioning, they said that their commute to-and-from work during heatwaves can sometimes be disrupted due to railway track closures.

Maria said that she is also worried about how much hotter London will become over the coming years. Between 2015 and 2024, the number of days exceeding 30C in the UK more than trebled compared with the 1961-1990 average, the Met Office says.

“It is June now and [in May] it was still like a heatwave, maybe not this high, but it’s so early in the year for it to be this hot,” she said.

“By next year probably, we’ll be having heatwaves in February – maybe not next year but maybe in a couple of years. It’s just moving backwards, so every month will be hotter and winter will be more freezing. It Is two extremes.”

The City of London Corporation uses heat planning to guide where it plants more treats and green space. It also have planning regulations which tries to ensure buildings in the Square Mile cool naturally. Schools in the City also close early if needed, with contingency measures such as timetable adjustments or early collection if required.

‘Our Climate Action Strategy is keeping the Square Mile cool’

City of London Corporation Policy Chairman, Chris Hayward, said: “Our Climate Action Strategy is keeping the Square Mile cool, green and resilient – ensuring it remains a world-leading destination, even in extreme heat.

“We’re taking practical, design-led action – targeting heat hotspots, delivering greener streets, and shaping buildings to stay cooler naturally.

“Since 2021, we’ve improved over 17,200 square metres of green space – the equivalent of 65 tennis courts – and seen streets cool down by up to six degrees through tree planting initiatives.

“And with 180 parks, plazas and churchyards, alongside venues like the Barbican, the City offers an unmatched range of places to escape the heat.”