Workers in the City of London, often named the hottest part of the capital, have described conditions as 'unbearable' during the current heatwave, with tall buildings trapping heat and limited shaded areas making it difficult to cool off.
Workers struggle with intense heat and crowded commutes
Dan McLaren, a store manager at Amathus wine and spirit shop in Leadenhall Market, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: '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.'
Katie, who works across all of Amathus' 15 London stores and is pregnant, said: 'It's not easy at all, I've got a fan, water - what I can to stay cool. 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.'
Construction worker says conditions are 'unbearable'
Cadrut, who works in construction near Finsbury Square, said: '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. 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, who work at a bakery in Leadenhall Market, noted that while their store has air-conditioning, their commutes are sometimes disrupted due to railway track closures. Maria expressed concern about future heatwaves, saying: '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. 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.'
City of London Corporation takes action
A 2023 heatmap by Friends of the Earth shows that the City of London, where 676,000 people work, has very few places for people to cool off. The Met Office has issued a rare red weather warning for extreme heat, with temperatures set to rise to 37C today (Wednesday, June 24). Between 2015 and 2024, the number of days exceeding 30C in the UK more than trebled compared with the 1961-1990 average, according to the Met Office.
The City of London Corporation uses heat planning to guide tree planting and green space creation, and has planning regulations to ensure buildings cool naturally. Schools in the City close early if needed. 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.'
