The prevailing climate throughout England is temperate oceanic, with a high probability of heavy rain at any time. The average temperature in winter is 2-6 ° C, although it is rare for it to snow. On average, it is estimated that it rains between 11 and 15 days a month, so it is quite likely that it will rain during your stay in La british capital. Here are some tips if you are visiting London in winter.
Below you have an index with all the points that we are going to deal with in this article.
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Climate and average temperature
Fortunately, the temperate oceanic climate surrounding southern Britain means that London do not reach extreme temperatures neither in winter nor in summer. However, London winters can be described as cold, with an average temperature reaching −4 ° C.
That is the lowest average temperature that can be recorded in the british capital in the middle of winter, although it should be noted that in some suburbs frosts can occur between November and March. An example of this is the Norholt area, which in 2010 reached −14 ° C in winter.
Also, in central London, especially in the City area, there is what is known as microclimate, which produces the famous heat island effect and, therefore, the temperature of the capital is always 5 ° C above that of the surrounding cities.
This microclimate, present in both winter and summer, is due to the accumulation of heat in the heart of the city due to the presence of heat-absorbing materials in buildings and infrastructures.
Travel When you travel to London, the truth is that predicting what the weather is going to do is complicated. Precisely because of the existing temperate oceanic climate, rainfall They are very relative and, as is popularly said, in the same day you can get to experience the five seasons of the year.
This uncertain climate also makes it difficult to define which is the hottest, coldest, most and least rainy month ... There are years when it does not even snow, while others can snow at a time close to the solstice of spring. At other times, the good weather comes in April, while other times in August it is still cool.
Still, we can draw the following general conclusions:
- Warmest month: July
- Coldest Month: January
- Rainiest Month: October
- Driest Month: February
In summary, if you decide to visit London or any other English city in winter, you should know that you will most likely find rain and even snow, although this last meteorological phenomenon is less frequent. On the other hand, if you travel in December you can enjoy the joy of the British capital in full Christmas.
The most appropriate clothing if you are going to travel to London in winter is, taking these data into account, ropa shelter, including scarf, hat, footwear or even water boots, waterproof clothing and thermal underwear. To give you an idea, the temperature of London in winter is usually about six or seven degrees below compared to Madrid.
Winter hours
Between December and March, the usual time for London to wake up is 06:45 in the morning, while dusk begins to show around 16:00 p.m. Between October and November, it gets dark a little later (around 18:00 p.m.). Thus, hours of light totals in winter are usually about 8 or 9 on average.
October 30 is when the time change to winter time takes place, in which the clocks must be turned back one hour to 2:00 in the morning. This means that, when it is 2:00, it will become 1:00 and, therefore, you will sleep one hour less.
This change implies that the afternoons will be shorter, which is why, as we have already mentioned before, the days have between 8 and 9 hours of light. However, the goal of this is that you can enjoy more hours of light in the morning.
Business hours are usually the same throughout the year: Monday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 18:00 p.m., although some shops in the center open until 19:00 p.m. and remain open until later only on Thursdays. At Christmas and during Boxing Day (December 26), there is usually a special schedule that we detail below:
- Public transportation: No service on December 25th. Minimum frequencies operate on December 26 and January 1 and, on December 31, the metro runs throughout the night, plus you can travel on it for free.
- Tourist bus: the main tourist buses (Golden Tours, original-tour y bigbus london) do not operate on December 25. On New Years Eve the night bus Big Bus does not offer any services. In addition, on January 1 there are usually detours and route changes due to the New Year's parade.
- Changing of the guard: No changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace on December 25 and 26. During the rest of December it takes place on alternate days and there are changes from day to mid-month.
- Boat trips on the Thames: tourist cruises Thames Clippers they do not operate on December 25 and 26.
- Main museums and monuments: December 25 and 26 are closed. Some also close on January 1, such as Charles Dickens Museum, Geffrye Museum, Barqueting house, the British Museum and the Air Force Museum.
It is worth mentioning that the change from summer to winter time tends to cause controversy among the north and south from United Kingdom. The reason for this debate is that in the southern zone the afternoons are very short; However, nothing can be done because it is a necessary change for the northern area, since, if it is not done, it would dawn very late.
As for the time change to go from winter time to summer time, this takes place on the morning of March 27, in which the clock must be moved forward one hour. The change must take place at 1 in the morning, that is, at 1:00 it will be 2:00.
Winter activities
One of the most interesting activities if you visit London in winter is ice skating. The hours of the London ice rinks at Christmas may vary, as usual, on December 25, 26 and 31. The main ones are Somerset House, Frostival-London Eye, Natural History Museum, Tower of London and Hampton Court.
However, there is no doubt that one of the main activities of the London winter is the winter sales o Winter sales, which begin the call Boxing Day, that is, on December 26 of each year, and usually last until approximately mid-January.
Among the main advantages of the London sales is that in them you can find numerous offers and discounts not only on clothing, but also on household items, electronics and many other areas. Some travel agencies even organize offers to travel to London on these dates.
Below we show you which are the most famous shops when it comes to applying interesting discounts along with the day they start the sales:
- December 26 (Boxing Day): Westfield Stratford City, Harrods, Debenhams, London Designer Outlet, Selfridges, Westfield London, House of Fraser.
- December 27: John Lewis, Fortnum & Manson.
Now, if you are going to go to the London sales in the first days, especially on the 26th, our advice is that you dress in the right clothes, especially with flat and comfortable shoes. The second thing to keep in mind is that the prices will be displayed in pounds sterling, so each pound you spend translates to approximately € 1,20.
You should know that it is not absolutely necessary to visit all the stores on the first day, which is when they are usually most crowded. In fact, the best deals are usually presented towards mid-January, which is when stores really want to get rid of what is left of the previous season, so it is common to find last minute price cuts.
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