Majority of Londoners say government should do more to help people adapt to extreme heat
Londoners facing financial hardship during the final heatwave of 2025 were more than twice as likely to be severely affected by the extreme temperatures than those who were financially secure, according to new research.
While around a quarter (27%) of those who say they are "living comfortably" reported that the temperatures (reaching up to 34°C) were much too hot, this rose to over half (56%) among those who said they were finding finances "very difficult".
The findings come in a new study carried out by the Policy Institute at King's College London, funded by funded by the Wellcome Trust as part of a study exploring the effects of extreme heat events on mental health in vulnerable urban communities.
The research is based on a representative survey of 2,642 adults in England (including 1,013 in London) carried out in August 2025 with Focaldata. It finds:
- Half (49%) of Londoners living in social housing described
their local area as "much too hot" during the heatwave, compared to a quarter (27%) of those who owned their homes outright.
- Londoners reported feeling the heat more acutely than those in the rest of England: 56% of said they felt more exhausted during the heatwave (compared with 47% elsewhere), while 41% reported increased irritability (versus 33% outside the capital).
- A large majority of Londoners think the government should do more to help people adapt to very hot weather (70%), while an even higher proportion (81%) believe it has a responsibility to protect those most vulnerable to its impacts.
Kirstie Hewlett, Senior Research Fellow at the Policy Institute, King's College London said:
"It's clear that rising temperatures are becoming an increasing challenge for Londoners. Our findings show that those already facing financial hardship or living in more exposed housing conditions are more likely to feel the effects of rising temperatures. And these inequalities are set to become even more pronounced and mutually reinforcing as temperatures rise. There is a clear call from Londoners for the government to do more to protect residents, especially those most vulnerable. For policymakers, this underlines the need to treat heat not only as an environmental challenge, but as a social one - requiring targeted interventions, investment in resilient housing and urban infrastructure, and a stronger focus on protecting at-risk communities as extreme weather becomes more frequent."
Andrea Mechelli, Professor of Early Intervention in Mental Health at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King's College London said:
"These findings highlight the urgency of supporting Londoners during periods of extreme heat through an equity lens. Interventions must prioritise those with fewer financial resources, who are more vulnerable to the mental health impacts of rising temperatures. Rather than developing policies that target extreme heat in isolation, we need to consider how heat interacts with the everyday challenges Londoners face, from financial strain to existing health vulnerabilities."
