London weather,
live right now

May, June, and September. Mild (15-23°C), longer days, and less rain than the autumn. May has the parks in bloom and comfortable walking weather; September has warmth without the July-August crowds. Avoid late July-August if you dislike heat — recent summers have brought 35°C+ heatwaves the city isn't built for (almost no air conditioning). November-February is cold, damp, and dark (sunset around 16:00) but atmospheric and cheap.

Less than its reputation suggests, but often. London gets around 600mm a year across roughly 110 rainy days — fewer total millimetres than Rome, but spread across more days. The rain is typically light and persistent rather than heavy. A folding umbrella and a waterproof jacket cover you most of the year. Londoners rarely change plans for rain; they duck into a pub, a gallery, or the Tube and carry on.

Layers, always. Spring/autumn: a waterproof jacket, sweater, comfortable walking shoes, a brolly. Summer: lighter clothes but keep a layer for cool evenings and a packable rain jacket — heatwaves happen but so do wet spells. Winter: a proper warm coat, scarf, gloves, waterproof shoes; it's the damp cold that gets you, not extreme temperatures. Comfortable shoes matter year-round — London is a walking city.

Usually mild — July-August averages 23-24°C — but heatwaves have become more frequent and intense. The city hit 40°C for the first time in 2022, and 35°C+ spells now occur most summers. Because almost nothing has air conditioning (homes, older Tube lines, many shops), these heatwaves feel brutal. The Underground's deep lines become genuinely uncomfortable. On hot days, locals head for the parks, the canals, and anywhere with shade.