London heatwave

Helen, thank you for the heads-up. For those like me who aren’t automatically tuned into Celsius, that’s above 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Frankly, that would really be an adjustment for me, as it’s still getting below, or just above freezing at night here. Stay cool!

It’s an adjustment for us too, it’s been really cold here too until yesterday!

It’s an adjustment for us too, it’s been really cold here too until yesterday!

Absolutely. It's gone from having the wood burner alight on Tuesday night to replacing it with a fan last night. Perfect timing for the bank holiday.

I'm glad I was in London last week, with all my layers on and not this week! Heat wave is the only kind of English weather I don't like.

The same thing is happening in Paris -- including the abrupt transition from unseasonably cold !!

Yeah, it’s pretty ghastly. And today was only the beginning. 😬 🥵 🔥

Top tips if you’re visiting and do not like the heat: air-conditioning here is not like air-conditioning in the United States. In the US, you can expect most spaces like stores and galleries and museums to be icy chilled. Not so much here. If there is air-conditioning, it is often weedy and substandard, alas.

So head to a park and bask in the shade! There’s lots to choose from!

Or head down to the Thames and walk in the breeze - there are lovely shaded places to stroll and catch the cooler air.

Find a super chilled off license and just walk all the way to the back and stand by the drinks cooler until your internal temp is down to something more reasonable!

Call ahead and ask a pub if they have air-conditioning. My local does, and it is ICY, and it is going to save my life this week. (The King’s Arms, 190 Fulham Road, you’re welcome.)

If all else fails, two words: the cinema. Catch a flick at a Vue (inexpensive) or an Everyman (posh and spendy). Both have snacks, beer, wine, and AC. Everyman locations have velveteen seating and real kitchens with decent food.

Stay frosty, my friends!

I visited London in June when it was about that warm and it definitely felt sweltering. My tip: if you use the CityMapper app for navigation, it tells you which transit routes have air conditioning.

The cure for heat is to…….
1) not bake your meat. Plan your day to escape being out during the highest temp of the day. Dash into stores for a bit of cooled interior window shopping. Umbrellas are not just for rain. Timed entries are great for avoiding the squash of sweaty folks standing in lines.
2) above all, hydrate! Start the day BEFORE arrival and keep yourself hydrated throughout the journey.

What's the humidity when London is that high, because that make a huge difference. Arizona in the summer gives a new meaning to the word "hot" but it's not as uncomfortable as the Southeast US because in Arizona, the heat is dry and that makes a huge difference(and also makes the heat in Arizona more deadly because it's easier to tolerate). It is currently 82 with 83% humidity in Charleston and we call that "spring".

It's not humid at all today. It's rather lovely actually. Nice cool breeze, sunny, about 80F (27C). I've been out in the garden sitting reading and it's perfect, in the shade at least. The cat (Ronnie) loves it when I sit outside. The back garden is his territory, the house is mine I think. He likes when we're hanging out like a gang, keeping an eye on things.

For the A/C lovers, air conditioning on public transport isn't that great in London. Most buses don't have proper A/C, just what you might call a "swamp cooler", evaporative cooling, and it's pretty useless generally. The District, Circle, Hammersmith & City, and Metropolitan lines have trains with A/C on the tube. The Elizabeth Line is air conditioned. All the Overground line trains have air conditioning.

It's great today but might get a bit too warm in the next few days. Won't last long though.

Everywhere will be absolutely jumping in London this evening. The good weather, especially when everyone is off on Monday, brings people out. Every pub will be spilling out on to the pavement with people enjoying a drink since the weather's nice.

I would kill for a heat wave right about now. I'm still waiting for it to get above 60 degrees during the day. Had a couple of days of it, but most of it still chilly.

It needs to be said that not everywhere in the UK is enjoying hot weather just yet. Here right in the middle of the country it's a very pleasant 22 degrees and no humidity at all. The forecast is for around 25-26 degrees by the middle of next week. All in all delightful.

The weather further north and west is as yet anyway quite a bot cooler with some rain around.,

I tried to post this a while ago and it kept failing, so trying again… I absolutely love this type of weather in London and am very excited for it. However the tube can get quite stuffy. For those looking for air conditioned carriages you will want to travel on the Metropolitan, Hammersmith and City, Circle, or District lines.

We rarely get weather this nice, so enjoy it!

I love it too. Nothing better than a drink outside in the sun. Bristol is great when we have nice weather with loads of waterside areas just perfect for a sunny beer.

Hah! I seem to be in the minority here. I absolutely frugging LOATHE heat and do not do well at all in the sun (I am skimmed milk white with pale strawberry hair, soooo…).

I will admit that London is gorgeous in the dappled sunshine. And the breezes are still cool and lovely. So far. And the humidity is low - so if you like early summer, and you’re visiting London or elsewhere in the south of England, you’ll be very happy. 😃

That said: I moved to the UK for the chilly gray damp. Maybe I need to move up to Stornaway! 😜

those looking for air conditioned carriages you will want to travel on the Metropolitan, Hammersmith and City, Circle, or District lines

I remember a sweltering Spring afternoon on the Northern line two years ago - afternoon rush hour, packed in like sardines - and the “air conditioning” was open windows at both ends of the car. It was like being in a wind tunnel with full-blast air moving through, and a deafening roar. I couldn’t cover my ears because I was having to hold on. Hot and miserable. Having only the heat would’ve been rough, but also having the rest was excruciating.

Volva, maybe you need to try Ireland!! 🙂 They get even fewer sunny days. But seriously, hope everyone is staying comfortable this bank holiday weekend! It’s a great time to head to the coast…

"I moved to the UK for the chilly gray damp." and then chose one of the warmest, sunniest and dry locations! Should have gone to Manchester.....

but heatwave news is really a symptom of sensational journalism made worse by the fact that british journalism (for want of a better word) is so London-centric. Which is in turn made worse by so many foreign visitors thinking that London is a typical representation of Britain. Where were the headlines about so many days in May across most of the country being unseasonably cool and dull?

An article about editors going for sensation when reporting weather https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2014/dec/29/newspapers-run-hot-and-cold-over-celsius-and-fahrenheit

Where were the headlines about so many days in May across most of the country being unseasonably cool and dull?

Remind me to never allow you to edit my newspaper :)

Haven't sensational stories about the weather been stock and trade of British journalism for many decades? You're not going to get many clicks with a headline and story about how dull and boring the weather has been.

I agree about news media in general being London-centric though. Weather isn't bad in London. It's rare that anything much happens of note. If you want it to rain more you do need to go further north.