As temperatures in London crept up to 34C this week, commuters on the Central line faced a suffocating 39.4C inside carriages – a reminder that most of the Tube network still lacks air conditioning, while supermarkets are scrambling to upgrade fridges that melted down in last month’s extreme heat.
The London Underground has not rolled out a new air-conditioned train since June 2017 – more than nine years ago. Only four sub-surface lines – the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan – are equipped with air conditioning, covering around 40 per cent of the network, according to a Transport for London (TfL) Freedom of Information request. The deep Tube lines – Central, Northern, Victoria, Jubilee, Bakerloo and Waterloo & City – which make up 60 per cent of the network, have no cooling for passengers. New trains on the Piccadilly line, due later this year, will be the first deep Tube stock with air conditioning.
“London Underground has no new AC trains since 2017, and M&S fridges failed in June heatwave, prompting investment in 45C-capable equipment.”
The heatwave gripping the UK forced several hospitals to declare critical incidents, and supermarkets bore the brunt too. Mark & Spencer’s chief executive Stuart Machin told a shareholder meeting in London that some of the chain’s fridges broke down during nine days of extreme heat in June. ‘There’s no doubt we were struggling in those nine days of extreme heat,’ he said. ‘Now we’re investing in equipment in our stores to deal with temperatures of 45 degrees. We’re reviewing all our refrigeration as well.’
The UK could regularly see peak temperatures of 45C by 2056, according to Met Office scientists. TfL’s chief safety, health and environment officer Lilli Matson said of London’s first-ever Heat Plan: ‘This report highlights the increasing risks that extreme heat poses across London, including to critical infrastructure such as transport.’
Water supplies are also under pressure. Thames Water has asked its 16 million customers to avoid using hosepipes and sprinklers. South East Water introduced an official hosepipe ban in parts of Kent from July 3, and Southern Water’s ban starts across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from July 10 – with fines of up to £1,000 for using a hosepipe in a banned zone.
The amber heat health alert covering London, the South East and West, East of England and the Midlands runs from Wednesday morning until Sunday evening, with temperatures expected to climb into the low 30s Celsius and possibly reach 34-35C later in the week. Nighttime temperatures in urban areas are likely to remain ‘in the high teens Celsius overnight,’ said Met Office deputy chief forecaster Steven Keates.