Mayor of London Sadiq Khan with firefighters at Islington Fire Station last week

THE Mayor of London was out in the sweltering temperatures of the heatwave as he laid out a new city-wide “heat plan” at Islington Fire Station.

On the hottest June day in recorded history, Sir Sadiq Khan posed for photos with Islington’s fire crews and unveiled the “Heat Ready London” strategy last week.

The Mayor said that “no single organisation” could address the scale of the challenge alone and set out a series of short, medium and long-term changes such as increasing access to swimming spaces, urban greening and retrofitting social homes.

Sir Sadiq said working with local authorities, as well as emergency services and public bodies would enable a “collective” approach to tackling the climate emergency.

A red weather warning was cast across London last week, as temperatures climbed to 36 degrees and schools and workplaces in Islington closed as a safety measure.

Sir Sadiq said that building “resilience” to the rising temperatures was as important, adding: “Rising temperatures are no longer a future threat – they are becoming a growing reality for Londoners. It is affecting our communities, from homes and high streets to schools, hospitals and care services.

“We must act now. By working in partnership, we can ensure the benefits of climate action are shared by all Londoners and that those who are most vulnerable are protected as we build a greener and fairer London for everyone.”

The London Fire Brigade Commissioner, Jonathan Smith, said: “Extreme heat is no longer an occasional challenge.”