Greenpeace logs 53C at London playground in heatwave
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- Greenpeace recorded temperatures up to 53C at a single London playground during recent heatwaves across the UK and Europe.
- Kirsty Major, The Guardian's deputy opinion editor, investigates which playgrounds are being redesigned to handle climate-driven extreme heat.
- The piece argues UK and European cities are structurally not equipped for the soaring temperatures now arriving with the climate crisis.
- A Super El Niño is on its way, with forecasters predicting next year will be even hotter than the heatwaves currently gripping the continent.
- The Guardian frames playgrounds as a frontline test case for whether city infrastructure — from surfaces to shade — can adapt to a new thermal reality.
Why it matters: Greenpeace's measurement of 53C at a single London playground demonstrates that current UK and European infrastructure cannot absorb heatwave conditions already underway. With a Super El Niño on the way and next year forecast to be hotter, the cost of inaction falls directly on local authorities responsible for shared urban spaces.
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