London’s emergency services have spent more than £11 million dealing with the consequences of climate change, as wildfires and flooding increasingly threaten the capital’s safety and infrastructure.
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According to new data released by the Mayor of London’s office, the city has faced 808 wildfires since 2018 — a figure highlighting the growing London climate change impact on local communities. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has spent over £5.4 million responding to these incidents.
In 2025 alone, 21 wildfires have already been reported, requiring more than 4,000 personnel deployments and costing £766,000.
Meanwhile, flooding continues to add to the city’s climate-related burdens. Since 2018, the LFB has spent £5.8 million tackling flood incidents — including £557,000 for 195 flooding events this year, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
“This Is Climate Change in Action”
Leonie Cooper, Labour’s environment spokesperson for the London Assembly, emphasized that the London climate change impact is no longer theoretical:
“This is not a warning of what climate change might do — this is what it is doing to London today.”
Summer 2025 was officially declared the hottest on record in the UK, with four major heatwaves affecting London.
The borough of Havering has been hit hardest, recording 158 wildfires since 2018 — including the devastating Wennington blaze of 2022, which destroyed more than a dozen homes.
Flooding is also on the rise. The Greater London Authority (GLA) has identified flash floods as the biggest environmental risk to Londoners, warning that nearly half of London’s hospitals and 20% of schools could be at risk in future flood events.
Emergency Services Call for Investment and Prevention
Pat Goulbourne, Assistant Commissioner for Operational Resilience at the LFB, stated:
“We know that climate change is having an impact on London’s weather — increasing the risk of wildfires and flash flooding.”
He urged landowners to take preventative measures such as creating fire breaks, while stressing that continued investment in resources and training is crucial to face upcoming challenges.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has joined global leaders at the C40 World Mayors Summit, focusing on how major cities can strengthen resilience ahead of COP30 in Belem, Brazil — one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions.
