Well, to continue with where I left last time, I will now try to describe the weather here in London. I think the title of the post says it all! It really is rainy throughout the year & you are never sure when its going to rain.
As usual I go comparing with the Bombay weather which I was used to & which was quite regular & routine. By that I mean you can define that it will be hot in some particular months, & rain during some specific months. I wont say Bombay has a winter season...:) Actually even here you can be pretty sure about the cold & when it is going to be pleasant or a little warmer. But the one thing that you can never predict is the rains. One minute it is bright & sunny and the next it starts drizzling. Oh...yes I wouldnt call them 'rains' here, as I am accustomed to the heavy rainfalls of Bombay where the whole city would get flooded inspite of the drainage system in place.So all you get in London is a drizzle..meaning you cant say its not raining but at the same time its nothing much. But it is bothersome nevertheless.
But the commendable part is the weather forecast system these guys have here. The BBC site gives out accurate forecast with the timing! And believe it or not it is correct almost always. So if I check the site for the forecast in the morning, I know that it is going to rain at about 2 in the afternoon & avoid going out at that time. If the site mentions that it is going to be sunny by 4 o'clock the same day, it does happen. For someone who is used to jokes targetting the meteorological Dept in India, this was an amazing discovery.
Then theres the cold....starting from September lasting till even March/April. The cold was at its peak when I first came here in December. So naturally I was hoping that I would get to see some snowfall (Not just hoping I was quite eager for it!).But apart from some stray flakes falling down in Dec end, there was nothing much. Finally got to see some substantial snow (not 'snowfall' but 'some snow', mind you) in the month of March, now thats when the cold is supposed to be subsiding!
Having lived in Delhi for more than 10 years, I didnt have much of a problem adjusting to the cold here. But yes getting ready to go out somewhere is really tedious what with all the 'gear' you have to don - sweater, jacket, hat, gloves, scarf, socks, shoes, the list goes on. Finally once you are ready, you almost feel like an astronaut going for a space mission!
Summer is the best time to be around here. The weather is warm & pleasant. There are flowers all around you. London has a lot of gardens & parks and July/Aug is the best time to visit them. They are all bursting with flowers of all imaginable colours, greenary all around and a general cheerful atmosphere. The best thing would be a walk along the river Thames in the evening. This is my favourite part of London anyway, even if it is biting cold! The next would be a cruise in the river...
I am now experiencing my second winter here in London and its no different from last year. We still havent seen any snow for this season and it rains anytime. Infact its a very cloudy dull day today & it has been drizzling since morning....typical British weather, they say.
No comments:
Post a Comment