Energy & Climate
Personalised flood plans
New free household flood plan launches in Scotland as climate risks rise.
3 June 2026
Main image: Thermographic images reveal sweltering surface temperatures in London playground. © TI Thermal Imaging
Pavements, rail platforms, building sites and playgrounds across London reached sweltering surface temperatures in the 50-60°C range yesterday (23 June), according to thermal camera images captured for Greenpeace UK during the record-breaking heatwave.
The shots, taken by thermal imaging experts, reveal how extreme heat is putting a huge strain on daily life in the capital, affecting shoppers, passengers, children and outdoor workers.
Unlike standard thermometers, which measure air temperature, thermal cameras show how hot the streets, pavements and buildings really get. The camera marks higher temperatures in lighter colours and lower ones in darker tones.
The data reveal the extreme surface heat people face in urban areas, especially where tarmac, glass and a lack of tree cover turn streets into heat traps.
Images taken in the heart of the capital show people walking across scorching surfaces in Piccadilly Circus (56°C), Oxford Circus (56°C), and Regent Street (57°C) yesterday afternoon, as air temperatures hovered around 35°C.
On the sunlit overground platform at Highbury & Islington, the camera detected a surface temperature of 62°C. At a bus stop on Gray’s Inn Road, the pavement temperature reached up to 59°C, while the granite paving stones in King’s Cross Square hit a sizzling 54°C. The floor of a packed Victoria Line carriage showed a maximum reading of around 40°C.
‘This record-smashing heatwave has turned London into a sticky, sizzling cauldron. This isn’t just weather – it’s a public health emergency driven by fossil fuel giants and their planet-heating emissions. These abnormal temperatures are stretching homes, schools, transport and our own health to breaking point, and yet the government has been caught off guard.
‘Ministers need to stop winging it and deliver a proper extreme heat plan, with cooler homes and schools, safe limits for workers, more shade and green space, and clear protection for the most vulnerable. But adaptation alone won’t be enough. Political leaders must also stop fossil fuel companies from turning up the heat on our planet – and make them pay their fair share to fix the problem they’ve caused.’
MEL EVANS
Greenpeace UK head of climate
As the mercury soared after noon, many outdoor workers in London were also exposed to searing temperatures. At a roadwork site in Holborn, the churned-up tarmac glows white-hot in the thermal footage, hitting a staggering 65°C, while parts of a nearby scaffolding ranged from 40-60°C, depending on the material.
At a semi-deserted playground in Islington, the black rubber floor reached up to 53°C at 17.00.
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