The climate and temperature of London they are unpredictable factors. In fact, it is said that in the same day it is possible to experience all four seasons, since it can vary between torrential rains, cold and heat in a matter of minutes. We explain everything you need to know about the climate, temperature and the most appropriate clothing if London is your next destination.
Below you have an index with all the points that we are going to deal with in this article.
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Average temperature
Due to the temperate oceanic climate that prevails in the southern part of Great Britain, the average temperature in England does not reach very extreme values, not even in summer.
While the london winters They are usually cold, with an average temperature ranging between −4 ° C and 14 ° C, summer values do not usually exceed 20 ° C. In some suburbs of the british capital frosts can occur between the months of November and March.
It should be noted that in summer the average temperature in the city center is usually around 5 ° C higher than that of the surroundings, since the urban area generates the heat island effect (accumulation of heat due to the presence of heat-absorbing materials in infrastructures).
From June to August, which are the hottest months par excellence, the temperature during the day ranges from 18 to 26 ° C maximum.
The Northolt area, west of the city center, is striking, where in recent decades outliers have been registered (far from the average). Thus, in 2010 there was a record for sub-zero temperature: −14 ° C.
However, it is estimated that before the 20th century, values even below −XNUMX ° C were recorded. The heaviest snowfall in the last two decades also took place in this area.
What time of year to travel?
Although many tourists prefer to travel in summer because, in general, temperatures are better than at other times of the year, it is also true that in winter you can enjoy various tourist attractions.
On the other hand, as we said before, traveling in summer is always a great advantage when visiting any world capital. Here we show you what are the main advantages of each season.
Autumn Winter
Without going any further, spend Christmas in the british capital It is a highly recommended option if you want to travel to England at a time other than summer. In this case, the average minimum temperature is 2,7 ° C and the maximum is 17,2 ° C.
Among the main reasons and options to travel to London in autumn-winter, we highlight:
- Rain: Although this is a disadvantage for most travelers, there are those who enjoy wellies, umbrellas and raincoats. If you come from countries with a warm climate such as Spain, a change of scenery can turn your trip into a renewing experience. The rain is a good opportunity to enjoy the famous English tea in a coffee shop.
- SnowWhile it is true that snow falls rarely, seeing the famous red telephone boxes or Hyde Park covered in snow is something that can only be done in winter time. For snow lovers, the image of snowy London will be one of the best winter travel experiences.
- Shopping Centers: Harrods, Selfridges or Harvey Nichols are the great shopping centers of London. If you visit the city in winter, you can enjoy them in their maximum splendor, admire the latest trends in fashion and, above all, shelter from the cold.
- Gastronomy: What better way to fight a rainy night than having dinner in a typical restaurant? While in summer we recommend opting for the famous take away winter is the perfect occasion to go on gastronomic routes around the city, for example.
It should be taken into account that in December, January, February and March it dawns around 06:45 in the morning and gets dark around 16:00 p.m. On the other hand, in October and November it gets dark a little later: around 18:00 p.m. in October and around 16:30 p.m. in November. The hours of daylight, therefore, at this time are about eight or nine.
Spring Summer
From April to approximately mid-August, the good weather is noticeable in the British capital, although the probability of finding ourselves faced with one or more rainy days is high, since the average number of rainy days per year is around 106,6 with 1.460 hours of sunshine in total.
So what are the main benefits of traveling to London between April and August? We summarize them below:
- Spring: April and May are the quintessential London spring months, which means that from this month there will be more sun and less rain. It is a good time to visit the parks of London or even take a cruise on the Thames.
- Outdoor events- Most London outdoor events start around May. The season for music festivals in the larger parks as well as the open-air theater also begins at this time.
- Buckingham Palace open doors: since in summer the Queen isabel II enjoy your vacations outside of Buckingham Palace, it is at this time when visitors who wish can take a look at the majestic facilities in which the Queen performs her duties of State during the year.
- Museums at night: Another great advantage of visiting London in May is that the museum hours change, so you can visit the main museums and galleries at unusual times. It is also common for them to organize special events and activities. You can check the opening hours of the museum or museums you plan to visit on their website.
- FestivalsBetween the end of May and the end of August, London is filled with some of the most famous festivals in Great Britain, adapted to all tastes. Wimbledon tennis championship, ceremony Trooping the color, the gastronomic festival Taste of London, etc. are some examples. Other options are London Zoo or the WWT Center for Wetland Conservation in London.
- Children activities: in the middle of summer is when more activities for the whole family can be found. From the Science Museum to Southbank CenterIncluding the Notting Hill Carnival, the little ones will have a blast this time of year.
Another advantage is that we will have a greater number of hours of sunshine per day, around 12-13 hours in total. While in April it dawns around 06:30 in the morning, it starts to get dark between 19:30 and 20:00.
In May and June, sunrise occurs between 4:40 AM and 5:00 AM, and sunset at approximately 21:00 PM. In August and September it starts to get dark earlier.
Recommended clothing and accessories
When prepare the trip to LondonWe must bear in mind that we must be prepared for the rain at any time of the year, that is, whether in winter or summer.
However, officially the wettest time of the year is around September and the end of November, although as we said it could be a very rainy day also in the middle of summer.
This implies that carrying clothes adapted to the rain in our suitcase is essential. Although the most common when we face this type of storm is to resort to the umbrella, the truth is that moving around the city with it throughout the day is somewhat uncomfortable.
In addition, if it is windy it is frequent that it ends up breaking, so our advice is that you choose a waterproof jacket with a hood, oilskin o K-way.
What is certain is that in winter, due to the microclimate we talked about above, frosts or persistent snow are not frequent.
This means that it will not be necessary to wear clothes adapted to such adverse weather conditions, but warm clothing is recommended, even if we go in the months of June, July or August. Going equipped with a jacket and comfortable rain-resistant shoes is essential.
A good idea is to dress "in layers", that is, a short-sleeved shirt with a warm sweatshirt over it and a coat, for example. In this way, if we go from cold to hot in a short time, we can get rid of the upper layers and thus not pass heat and vice versa.
Weather information
In order to be updated at all times regarding the temperature and meteorological conditions that will be in the British capital, there are several very useful resources for the traveler.
First, we can get information by looking at the british television. Weather information is always provided at the end of the informative. The UK radio it is also a very practical resource in these cases.
On the other hand, if we are not going to have access to television or radio, there are other equally feasible resources, such as the telephone, fax, SMS or Internet. Just by typing "weather in London" or "weather London" in our usual search engine, we will get up-to-date information.
We can use the telephone number 09014 722 051 and they will provide us with information about the weather in central London. The disadvantages of this is that the call costs 60 p / min from landlines. To find out the weather in south east and central London, we can send a fax to 09065 300128.
By SMS, if we send "wthr5" followed by the desired British location to 82222 we can also get the current weather. This service is available for all networks except Virgin's.
Main celebrations
London is one of the main capitals of Europe, which is why many events can be found there during every month of the year, each one adapted to the current weather conditions. However, these are the main celebrations:
- Guy Fawkes night: also known as Bonfire Night (Bonfire Night), is an event that takes place on November 5 of each year. It is celebrated with various typical dishes such as caramel apples, Jacket Potatoes, bon fire toffee, black peas with vinegar, etc.
- RHS Chelsea Flower Show: this is the largest flower exhibition in the city and takes place during the month of May. For this reason, many hotels and restaurants offer special tea services at 17:00 p.m. and menus in honor of the exhibition. We can see what it is about in the following video:
- Trooping the Colour: is the celebration of the official birthday of the Queen isabel II and consists of a majestic military parade throughout the city. The street The Mall it is from where you can best enjoy it.
- Wimbledon tournament: For tennis lovers, the Wimbledon Tournament is the perfect occasion to enjoy the sport. Its duration is two weeks and it is the tennis tournament belonging to the Grand Slam most prestigious in the world. Tickets are only purchased by public lottery, but there are always over-requests, making it difficult to get hold of one of the 500 available.
- Notting Hill Carnival: it is the biggest European festival that takes place during the last weekend of August. It is a Caribbean-themed festival that takes place through the streets of West London. It usually begins on Saturday with a drum group contest and ends the following Monday (a London holiday) with the main parade and the after-party.
There are many other events, celebrations, and festivals for all tastes. In February, for example, the Chinese New Year is celebrated in style and also the famous Shrove Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, in which the famous pancake races take place.
The popular London Marathon is one of the largest races in the world and takes place in April. The Gay Pride parade, known as pride london, dyes London's streets pink and is also another sight to see.
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