On the Weather

Before we left, many of my friends who have travelled here or lived here for any length of time told me that the stories of rain in London are greatly exaggerated. That certainly has been our experience so far. Yes it has rained and a couple of times a good hearty rain, but overall it has been very pleasant. Rains are often just a bit of a drizzle and they don't last long and it doesn't rain every day. 

Temperatures have been in the high teens, low twenties every day. We often have beautiful blue sky. This is the perfect temperature for me having been born in northern Alberta and spending a large part of my life in the mountains. Like everywhere, they do get heat waves from time to time. In fact, one had just ended prior to our landing. Temps were in the high twenties and edged into the low thirties. 

The view from my window today

What is difficult for me here is the humidity. Twenty-three degrees feels much much hotter. I am always soaked through to the skin with sweat. Electric clothes dryers are very uncommon here (likely due to the extremely high cost of electricity). Everyone hangs their clothes to dry. But your clothes don't get dry really. The racks you hang your clothes on are not called "dryers" as they are back home, they are called "airers" probably because airing them is the best you can hope for. It's no wonder "damp" is a common problem here. Things go mildewy and mouldy quite easily -- including your clothes.

 

Richmond Park yesterday

What I have yet to experience is a London winter. It doesn't get particularly cold here in winter. It doesn't really snow here. However, I have heard from other expats that the humidity in winter is bone chilling. I have experienced this myself having spent time on the east coast in Canada in February. It was minus ten and I have never felt as cold in minus thirty in Edmonton. You were always a bit damp and chilled to the bone. It was so hard to warm up even when you were inside. I imagine I will begin a wool clothing collection. Wool keeps you warm even in the damp. Dear readers, I'll report on that when the season arrives.