🎡 London Weather

Grey, mild, and not as rainy as you think

London's temperate maritime climate is defined by mildness and cloud rather than rain. Despite its drizzly reputation, the city actually receives less annual rainfall than Rome, New York, or Sydney — around 24 inches (610 mm). What it lacks in volume it makes up for in grey, overcast days and a fine, persistent drizzle that can set in at any time of year.

Mild, damp winters

Winters are cool and damp rather than truly cold, with January highs around 48°F (9°C) and lows seldom far below freezing. Snow is uncommon and rarely settles for long in the city, where the urban heat island keeps central London a few degrees warmer than the surrounding countryside. Short days and long grey spells are the real hallmark of the season.

Cool summers and rare heat

Summers are generally mild and pleasant, with July highs around 73°F (23°C), but heat waves have become more intense — in July 2022 London exceeded 104°F (40°C) for the first time on record, a shock to a city where air conditioning is rare. Rain can fall in any month, so an umbrella is a year-round companion.

The capricious, fast-changing weather is part of London life — sunshine, cloud, and a passing shower can all arrive within a single afternoon, in any season.

Mild, grey, and rarely extreme

London's oceanic climate is famously moderate — the Atlantic and prevailing westerlies keep winters mild and summers cool, so it neither freezes hard nor bakes for long. Its rainy reputation is a bit unfair: total rainfall is modest, but it comes as frequent light drizzle spread across many grey, overcast days.

The lack of widespread air conditioning means the occasional heat wave, like the record 104°F (40°C) of 2022, hits hard, while cold snaps and rare snow can snarl the city that's built for mildness. Long summer evenings — light past 9 p.m. — and the reliable damp are the twin hallmarks of the London year.