London - The City of London is using its streetlight network to better prepare for extreme weather events. The project, part of the British capital’s Climate Action Strategy, will see new Internet of Things applications added to the network to measure temperature, humidity and soil moisture.

The LED streetlights in London’s Square Mile financial district are to be equipped with new Internet of Things (IoT) applications to help the city prepare for extreme weather events. The City of London Corporation, which is the governing body of the British capital’s Square Mile district, is working with technology companies Itron and Urban Control to supplement the existing smart streetlight network with sensors that can gather and analyse real-time data on street temperatures and soil moisture, according to an article from Cities Today.  

Part of the City of London’s Climate Action Strategy, the project will help the City Corporation evaluate which climate resilience interventions are the most effective. The sensors it deploys will monitor trends over the next 20 years to identify whether measures such as sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) or urban greening are “helping to avoid disruptive temperatures and street flooding”, writes Cities Today. 

For its work, the City Corporation has received the 2022 Itron Innovator Award. “We are pleased to be recognised for our work with Urban Control on this innovative sensor network, which will help the City of London avoid disruption from climate change-related weather events such as flooding, heatwaves and drought,” Keith Bottomley, Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Port Health & Environmental Services Committee, told Cities Today.