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A conference dedicated to helping cities adapt to extreme heat was canceled in London after soaring temperatures made it unsafe to hold the event.
The meeting, titled “Extreme Heat: Improving governance and strengthening action around the world,” was scheduled to take place on Wednesday at the London School of Economics’ Shaw Library as part of London Climate Action Week.
However, organizers called it off as the UK faced record-breaking temperatures under a Met Office red warning.
The warning, which remained in effect until the following day, covered London and other parts of England, where temperatures are forecast to reach as high as 37C.
Event canceled due to London’s dangerous temperatures
The Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance said the decision was made because the university building lacked cooling systems.
“Like most buildings in London,” the organizers said, the venue lacked cooling systems, making it unsafe to host gatherings during the heatwave.
A spokesperson for the alliance said they could not risk the well-being of those attending.
“The magnitude of future impacts from extreme heat will largely depend on global mitigation efforts, local heat governance, and response plans,” the spokesperson said.
“Cities like London have unique potential to adapt to changing heat risks through effective risk management at multiple levels, connecting policies and incentives, and strengthening community adaptation capacity.”
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Chris Anderson of Practical Action, who was due to speak at the event, said he supported the decision.
“But it shows that extreme weather is becoming unpredictable and moving faster than people can adapt, even in the richest countries,” he said.
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The heatwave has also caused widespread disruption across southern England. Hundreds of schools were fully or partially closed, while Transport for London warned passengers that very high temperatures could affect Tube services and the London Overground and Elizabeth line.
Network Rail also warned that the heat could impact tracks, overhead lines and signaling equipment, urging people to “only travel if absolutely necessary to, from or within red warning zones” and to stay hydrated.
Speaking at another London Climate Action Week event on Tuesday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres highlighted the severity of the conditions.
“London isn’t just calling. It’s cooking,” Guterres said. “Crisis brings clarity, and here in London it is clear that our world is facing a ‘tale of two crises’.”
