Now, I’m not sure if we’ve mentioned the weather recently (it’s not something we Brits tend to talk about too much, really) but it’s getting pretty toasty out thereisn’t it? With temperatures set to catapult back into the thirties over the next few days, you can almost hear the collective sound of Londoners frantically filling their shopping baskets with ice, tinnies, and the most powerful fans they can get their slightly sweaty hands on.
But whilst ice, canned cocktails, and decent ventilation are all going to be pretty pivotal in the coming weeks; there’s something else that might also help. A heatmap has been created by engineering and sustainable development consultancy firm, Arup. And it reveals the hottest and the coolest areas in London.
Named the Urban Heat Snapshotthe map was designed back in 2022 when UK temperatures hit a mighty 40°c for the first time on record. Created using AI and satellite imagery, the heatmap highlights what are known as the capital city’s ‘urban heat islands’. Whilst analysing these particularly hot spots, the Arup team took into account factors including green space, population density and wind speed to determine which areas are the hottest and which are the coolest.
Rather unsurprisingly, the more densely populated neighbourhoods topped the heat charts. And the areas with a higher vegetation cover sat on the cooler end of the scale. Hackney and Lambeth, for example, were both found to be several degrees hotter than their slightly greener neighbours, Wandsworth and Tower Hamlets. And the leafy likes of Hyde Park and the Isle of Dogs were among the coolest areas in town.
A particularly fascinating finding is that Kilburn was recorded as the hottest spot of all, coming out at a whopping 7°c warmer than Regent’s Park – which sits just two miles away. Kilburn has a vegetation cover of just 38%, whereas nearby Regent’s Park boasts an impressive 89% vegetation cover.
The hottest day of the year was recorded in June, and temperatures are still continuing to rise well into July. So, as always – stay safe, stay hydrated, and look after each other, folks.
You can find out more about Arup’s Urban Heat Snapshot here.
