England entered its fourth heatwave of the summer on 12 August, with a top temperature of 33.4C (92F) recorded in Northolt in north-west London.
While a warming climate will mean more heatwaves and more wildfire, almost 80 fires in locations such as open grassland, scrubland, woodland and parks have been recorded as deliberate since the start of June.
And the habitats that are hit by fire suffer and the real damage could take months to assess.
Caroline Haines, from the City of London Corporation, said the short-term impact on the natural habitat was “fierce”.
“There is no sound of birds. There’s no other sound this morning. And that’s because any wildlife that was here will have been pushed out,” she said.
“And the heat goes downwards as well, of course. So anything nesting just below the ground will also be affected.
“The trees around, perhaps by the autumn, when we have the leaf drop and the growth of the trees reduces. Then perhaps it won’t be until next spring when we really see the damage.”
London is facing new challenges with a changing climate.