Mapping the London heat island

London has the largest heat island in the UK and

there is considerable interest in determining its

characteristics so that strategic planning can be

properly informed. In the temperate climate of

England, an urban heat island (UHI) can be both

beneficial and detrimental – reducing the heating

energy used in the wintertime, and increasing the

cooling load in the summer. Both effects are very

strong, and knowing the balance of the UHI effect,

both city-wide and for individual buildings, is

an important goal of heat island planning. As part

of achieving this goal for London, its UHI has

been reassessed in greater detail than hitherto.