A new map reveals just how much heat remains trapped in London boroughs with fewer green spaces.
The map, commissioned by climate organisation Friends of the Earth, is the first time the cooling ability of green space and trees in urban areas has been modelled.
It shows how there are almost no cooling abilities in condensed central boroughs such as the City of London and Tower Hamlets while neighbourhoods such as Camden, Westminster and Greenwich benefit from being close to Hyde Park, Primrose Hill and Woolwich Common.
Charlton Park and Woolwich Common were, on average, around 3.5 degrees cooler, while homes on the fringes of Burgess Park in Southwark were cooled by around 1.5 degrees, despite being surrounded by an area with very little cooling overall.
The map is one of five British cities that were analysed by mapping experts TerraSulis on behalf of Friends of the Earth, including Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol.
Research by Friends of the Earth found that inner-city areas with fewer trees and green spaces were up to five degrees hotter than those with more tree cover and plant life during last year’s hottest day on record – July 19 – when the Met Office reported a UK record-high temperature of 40°C in Lincolnshire.
The map shows the hottest areas in each city on that day, at night-time, appearing dark red, and the coolest, most nature-dense areas in blue.
Mike Childs, head of science, policy and research at Friends of the Earth, said: “We know that extreme weather, including heatwaves, is becoming more frequent and severe due to the climate crisis. But not everyone is affected equally, with the most marginalised communities the hardest hit in the UK and overseas.
“Boosting tree numbers is such a clear win for our communities and our planet, not just because of their ability to cool urban areas, but because they capture planet-warming carbon too.
“This should be prioritised alongside a rapid programme of council-led, street-by-street insulation, which helps keep homes cool in the summer just as much as it keeps them warmer in winter.”
This summer the Met Office confirmed June was the hottest on record in UK history, with an average temperature of 15.8°C, and further hot temperatures are expected in mid-August.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) is preparing for wildfires to become much more prevalent as a result of the climate crisis and say they are “far better prepared” than last summer.
Marginalised communities are most impacted by the climate crisis, Friends of the Earth said.
An example of the disproportionate levels of green space can be seen in west London, where Kensington and Chelsea’s richest residents have access to 20 times more green space than the most deprived in the borough.
People living on lower incomes are also disproportionately affected by a lack of natural cooling near their homes and air pollution is also worse in the hottest areas.
Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to commit to no less than 20 per cent tree cover across urban areas as part of its upcoming Urban Trees Standard.
It also wants to see London’s plans to extend the ULEZ scheme to be rolled out in cities across the country.
