Climate of London

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London has a temperate climate, with regular but generally light precipitation throughout the year. Summer temperatures rarely rise much above 33 °C (91.4 °F), though higher temperatures have become more common recently. The highest temperature ever recorded in London was 38.1 °C (100.6 °F), measured at Kew Gardens during the European Heat Wave of 2003. Heavy snowfalls are almost unknown. In recent winters, snow has generally only settled once or twice and it is rarely more than an inch (25 mm) or so. London, as a temperate city, will generally receive less precipitation on an annual basis than a sub-tropical city such as Sydney or Rome. This is despite the fact that sub-tropical regions usually receive fewer rainy or overcast days. London's large built-up area creates a microclimate (an "urban heat island"), with heat stored by the city's buildings. Sometimes temperatures are 5 °C (9 °F) warmer in the city than in the surrounding areas.

The following tables show average climate data for 1971-2000 at the Met Office station at the London borough of Greenwich which is the closest station to the centre of London.

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Avg high °C (°F)	7 (45)	8 (46)	10 (50)	14 (57)	19 (66)	21 (70)	23 (73)	22 (72)	20 (68)	16 (61)	11 (52)	9 (48)	15 (59)
Avg low temperature °C (°F)	3 (37)	4 (39)	5 (41)	8 (46)	11 (52)	13 (55)	15 (59)	14 (57)	12 (54)	10 (50)	7 (45)	5 (41)	9 (48)
Source: BBC Weather