Essential Information - Weather Conditions

The old saying that ' London doesn't have a climate, it has weather' refers to the uncertainty of the atmospheric conditions in the region. Plan a picnic in a park in the morning and it will be raining by noon ; go to a film to escape a wet and dreary afternoon, and you'll emerge to bright sunshine in a blue, cloudless sky. You just never know.

But London does have a climate - in fact, among the mildest in England - known as 'temperate maritime', with mild and damp winters and moderate summers. It's wise to expect cloudy weather and rain even in the height of summer.

In July and August temperatures average around 18°C but can occasionally soar to 30°C or more. During most summers, however, you'll be lucky if the mercury tops the mid-20s. Even so, the summer of 2003 was one of the hottest ever on record for Britain and much of Europe . London sizzled at a record-breaking 37.9C in August, breaking once and for all the stereotype of the mild English summer.

In spring and autumn temperatures drop to between 11° and 15°C. In winter they hover just below 6°C; it very rarely freezes in London these days and snow is a very infrequent visitor. It may seem mild, but the dampness can often make it feel much colder.