Climate
The climate of London is broadly similar to the rest of the UK, with cool summers, mild winters, no wet or dry season, and often moderate to strong winds. It is classed as a temperate maritime climate according to the Köppen climate classification system. In terms of the local climate profile, the temperature tends to increase towards the centre of the urban area, primarily because of the urban heat Island effect, but also because London's topography results in the central area being the lowest part of the region in terms of altitude.
Daytime winter temperatures in London are around 8 °C (46 °F), but can vary from as high as 16 °C (61 °F), down to as low as −7.4 °C (18.7 °F), as occurred during January 1987. Night time temperature's hover a little above freezing, with frosts typically on 25-45 nights, depending on location. Absolute minimum temperatures range from −10 °C (14.0 °F) at St James Park, in central London down to −16.1 °C (3.0 °F) at Northolt during January 1962 - the lowest official temperature in the London area. More typically though −12 °C (10 °F) to −13 °C (9 °F) is the record minimum for most parts of London, as is shown by the Kew, Heathrow and Hampstead figures. The lowest temperature to occur in recent years was −14.2 °C (6.4 °F) at Northolt during 2010. During summer, daytime temperatures are typically around 23c, OTypically, according to 1981-2010 normals, the warmest day of the year at Heathrow will reach 31.6 °C (88.9 °F), and 26.4 days will attain a temperature of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or above. Kew's record high of 38.1 °C (100.6 °F) is the highest temperature in the London area.
Sunshine tends to increase towards the west of the London area, with annual average's at Heathrow and Kew in excess of 1600 hours, at Northwood and Hampstead, in the 1500-1600 hour range, but at Greenwich, below 1500 hours. The sunniest year on record at Heathrow was 2003, with, coincidentally, just over 2003 hours of sunshine.
Heathrow - Airport Weather Station to the west of London,
| Climate data for Heathrow Airport, elevation 25 m, 1981-2010, extremes 1948– | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.0 (60.8) |
18.6 (65.5) |
22.8 (73.0) |
27.4 (81.3) |
31.8 (89.2) |
34.8 (94.6) |
35.5 (95.9) |
37.9 (100.2) |
31.3 (88.3) |
28.8 (83.8) |
18.6 (65.5) |
16.6 (61.9) |
37.9 (100.2) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 8.1 (46.6) |
8.4 (47.1) |
11.3 (52.3) |
14.2 (57.6) |
17.9 (64.2) |
21.0 (69.8) |
23.5 (74.3) |
23.2 (73.8) |
19.9 (67.8) |
15.5 (59.9) |
11.1 (52.0) |
8.3 (46.9) |
15.2 (59.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 2.3 (36.1) |
2.1 (35.8) |
3.9 (39.0) |
5.5 (41.9) |
8.7 (47.7) |
11.7 (53.1) |
13.9 (57.0) |
13.7 (56.7) |
11.4 (52.5) |
8.4 (47.1) |
4.9 (40.8) |
2.7 (36.9) |
7.5 (45.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −13.2 (8.2) |
−9.6 (14.7) |
−5.1 (22.8) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
1.5 (34.7) |
5.6 (42.1) |
5.9 (42.6) |
1.8 (35.2) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−7 (19) |
−11.8 (10.8) |
−13.2 (8.2) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 55.2 (2.173) |
40.9 (1.61) |
41.6 (1.638) |
43.7 (1.72) |
49.4 (1.945) |
45.1 (1.776) |
44.5 (1.752) |
49.5 (1.949) |
49.1 (1.933) |
68.5 (2.697) |
59.0 (2.323) |
55.2 (2.173) |
601.7 (23.689) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 61.5 | 77.9 | 114.6 | 168.7 | 198.5 | 204.3 | 212.0 | 204.7 | 149.3 | 116.5 | 72.6 | 52.0 | 1,632.6 |
| Source #1: Met Office | |||||||||||||
| Source #2: KNMI | |||||||||||||
Kew - Weather station in the South West part of London, adjacent to the River Thames.
| Climate data for Kew, 5m asl, 1981-2010, extremes 1901- | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.1 (61.0) |
18.5 (65.3) |
22.0 (71.6) |
26.7 (80.1) |
30.6 (87.1) |
34.2 (93.6) |
35.0 (95.0) |
38.1 (100.6) |
33.3 (91.9) |
27.8 (82.0) |
18.9 (66.0) |
15.7 (60.3) |
38.1 (100.6) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 8.2 (46.8) |
8.7 (47.7) |
11.6 (52.9) |
14.4 (57.9) |
18.0 (64.4) |
21.0 (69.8) |
23.5 (74.3) |
23.2 (73.8) |
20.0 (68.0) |
15.8 (60.4) |
11.3 (52.3) |
8.5 (47.3) |
15.4 (59.7) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 1.8 (35.2) |
1.7 (35.1) |
3.4 (38.1) |
4.7 (40.5) |
7.9 (46.2) |
10.8 (51.4) |
13.0 (55.4) |
12.7 (54.9) |
10.3 (50.5) |
7.4 (45.3) |
4.1 (39.4) |
2.1 (35.8) |
6.7 (44.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −12.8 (9.0) |
−11.7 (10.9) |
−8.3 (17.1) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
−3.1 (26.4) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
3.9 (39.0) |
2.1 (35.8) |
1.4 (34.5) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
−7.1 (19.2) |
−11.7 (10.9) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 57.2 (2.252) |
41.9 (1.65) |
42.8 (1.685) |
45.3 (1.783) |
48.8 (1.921) |
49.3 (1.941) |
46.8 (1.843) |
51.2 (2.016) |
52.2 (2.055) |
69.7 (2.744) |
60.6 (2.386) |
56.6 (2.228) |
622.5 (24.508) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 59.8 | 79.9 | 118.2 | 173.3 | 205.3 | 203.6 | 218.4 | 211.1 | 146.4 | 117.2 | 70.6 | 49.6 | 1,653.4 |
| Source: Met Office | |||||||||||||
Hampstead - Weather Station in North London. The weather station enclosure is the most elevated of any in the London area, and as a result daytime temperatures are typically one degree lower than Heathrow, Kew, Northolt and Greenwich.
| Climate data for Hampstead 137m asl 1981-2010, extremes 1960- | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 15.7 (60.3) |
18.3 (64.9) |
23.1 (73.6) |
26.6 (79.9) |
29.8 (85.6) |
33.7 (92.7) |
34.4 (93.9) |
37.4 (99.3) |
29.4 (84.9) |
28.3 (82.9) |
17.9 (64.2) |
15.3 (59.5) |
37.4 (99.3) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 7.1 (44.8) |
7.4 (45.3) |
10.5 (50.9) |
13.3 (55.9) |
16.8 (62.2) |
19.9 (67.8) |
22.4 (72.3) |
22.0 (71.6) |
18.8 (65.8) |
14.6 (58.3) |
10.3 (50.5) |
7.4 (45.3) |
14.3 (57.7) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 2.0 (35.6) |
1.7 (35.1) |
3.5 (38.3) |
5.0 (41.0) |
8.0 (46.4) |
10.9 (51.6) |
13.2 (55.8) |
13.1 (55.6) |
11.0 (51.8) |
8.1 (46.6) |
4.8 (40.6) |
2.5 (36.5) |
7.0 (44.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −10.8 (12.6) |
−12.2 (10.0) |
−6.9 (19.6) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
1.8 (35.2) |
5.6 (42.1) |
4.7 (40.5) |
2.4 (36.3) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
−5.8 (21.6) |
−8.4 (16.9) |
−12.2 (10.0) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 64.7 (2.547) |
46.6 (1.835) |
48.9 (1.925) |
51.5 (2.028) |
58.0 (2.283) |
54.2 (2.134) |
50.4 (1.984) |
64.4 (2.535) |
56.9 (2.24) |
77.7 (3.059) |
68.3 (2.689) |
62.9 (2.476) |
704.5 (27.736) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 57.5 | 76.4 | 107.1 | 151.6 | 192.2 | 191.0 | 199.9 | 193.0 | 140.8 | 109.9 | 69.4 | 51.6 | 1,540.4 |
| Source: Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute | |||||||||||||
Northolt - Airfield Weather Station in the North West of London. Temperature extremes range from 37.7 °C (99.9 °F) in August 2003, down to −16.1 °C (3.0 °F) in January 1962.
| Climate data for Northolt, 38m asl, 1981-2010 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 7.9 (46.2) |
8.3 (46.9) |
11.3 (52.3) |
14.1 (57.4) |
17.7 (63.9) |
20.8 (69.4) |
23.2 (73.8) |
22.9 (73.2) |
19.7 (67.5) |
15.4 (59.7) |
11.0 (51.8) |
8.2 (46.8) |
15.1 (59.2) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 1.7 (35.1) |
1.5 (34.7) |
3.4 (38.1) |
4.8 (40.6) |
8.0 (46.4) |
10.9 (51.6) |
13.2 (55.8) |
12.9 (55.2) |
10.5 (50.9) |
7.6 (45.7) |
4.1 (39.4) |
2.1 (35.8) |
6.8 (44.2) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 58.2 (2.291) |
43.2 (1.701) |
45.5 (1.791) |
45.8 (1.803) |
56.0 (2.205) |
47.5 (1.87) |
45.3 (1.783) |
51.3 (2.02) |
50.6 (1.992) |
72.2 (2.843) |
64.9 (2.555) |
59.0 (2.323) |
639.8 (25.189) |
| Source: Met Office | |||||||||||||
Greenwich - Weather Station in East London located near the river Thames.
| Climate data for London (Greenwich), 7m asl, 1981-2010 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 8.3 (46.9) |
8.5 (47.3) |
11.4 (52.5) |
14.2 (57.6) |
17.7 (63.9) |
20.7 (69.3) |
23.2 (73.8) |
22.9 (73.2) |
20.1 (68.2) |
15.6 (60.1) |
11.4 (52.5) |
8.6 (47.5) |
15.2 (59.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 2.6 (36.7) |
2.4 (36.3) |
4.1 (39.4) |
5.4 (41.7) |
8.4 (47.1) |
11.5 (52.7) |
13.9 (57.0) |
13.7 (56.7) |
11.2 (52.2) |
8.3 (46.9) |
5.1 (41.2) |
2.8 (37.0) |
7.5 (45.5) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 51.6 (2.031) |
38.2 (1.504) |
40.5 (1.594) |
45.0 (1.772) |
46.5 (1.831) |
47.3 (1.862) |
41.1 (1.618) |
51.6 (2.031) |
50.4 (1.984) |
68.8 (2.709) |
58.0 (2.283) |
53.0 (2.087) |
591.8 (23.299) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 49.9 | 71.4 | 107.1 | 159.8 | 181.2 | 181.0 | 192.1 | 195.1 | 138.9 | 108.1 | 58.5 | 37.4 | 1,480.5 |
| Source: All other data from Met Office, | |||||||||||||
Read more about this topic: Geography Of London
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