Kingston Council is calling on the government to urgently step up funding to help authorities navigate the changing climate.

Temperatures in the UK rose above 30C for the 13th day in a row on Friday.

The prolonged hot weather prompted hospitals including St George’s in Tooting to issue health warnings.

South East Coast Ambulance Service also handled close to 78,000 calls between June the 22nd and July the 12th.

That’s an increase of more than 11,000 compared to the same period last year.

Kingston Council has, with this in mind, written to central Government to highlight the need for dedicated national investment.

The council has reduced its own operational emissions by 39% since 2019 but it says the funding to match its ambitions is not there.

It’s calling for extra cash to help support businesses and residents adapt to the hotter summers we are almost certainly going to get.