![\"Courtney](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/166ffbba-b7a8-49fe-a5ca-96ceea8589c6-0c74-e1750246287622.jpg\")
\n\t\tLondon is magical, but for a few weeks it feels like hell (Picture: Courtney Pochin)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tLondon is magical, but for a few weeks it feels like hell (Picture: Courtney Pochin)<\/p>\n
For most of the year, I love living in London<\/a>. <\/p>\n The hustle and bustle of the city is electric, there\u2019s something new to do or see every weekend and as a food writer,<\/a> I\u2019m never far from delicious treats.<\/p>\n But there are a few weeks out of the 52 when I\u2019d rather be just about anywhere else but here.<\/p>\n Most Londonders will tell you that summer<\/a> in the city is magical \u2014 they\u2019ll wax lyrical about drinking ros\u00e9<\/a> at rooftop bars<\/a>, eating M&S<\/a> picky bits in the park, lido swims<\/a> and outdoor cinemas.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t get me wrong, my seasonal depression is instantly cured when those first few rays of sun peek through the clouds around springtime. I\u2019m invigorated \u2014 if feels as though the city comes alive against a bright blue sky backdrop.\u00a0<\/p>\n But as July creeps into August and the word \u2018heatwave\u2019 <\/a>starts being thrown around the office, a sense of dread settles over me.<\/p>\n That\u2019s because, if we\u2019re being totally honest, a scorching hot summer\u2019s day in London is vile. Here\u2019s why\u2026<\/p>\n \t\t According to the Mayor of London\u2019s website, the capital is \u2018vulnerable\u2019 to extreme heat and \u2018overheating is a challenge\u2019. <\/p>\n There are plenty of dark roads, concrete and buildings that absorb and retain the heat, making it so much hotter than surrounding areas.<\/p>\n As such, the 10-minute walk down the road to my nearest Tube station, which is usually a peaceful stroll, leaves me feeling like I\u2019ve just trekked across the Sahara. I\u2019m sweaty and sticky by the time I get on the train and spend the rest of the day feeling gross. <\/p>\n On Reddit <\/a>numerous people have voiced similar hatred for the London heat, claiming it leaves them \u2018miserable\u2019, it\u2019s \u2018hell\u2019 and feels \u2018torturous\u2019.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tLatest London news\t\t\t<\/p>\n To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro’s<\/strong> London news hub<\/a>.<\/p>\n u\/tsf97, for instance, posted: \u2018Every time I see 30+ on the forecast I just dread it. Anything from low teens with no wind to 24-25 with a nice breeze is ideal for me.\u00a0High 20s is where I start feeling uncomfortable. Anything in the 30s is just miserable, you feel lethargic just walking outside, drenched in sweat because of the humidity, public transport is unbearable.\u2019<\/p>\n And u\/@RenePro wrote: \u2018Always dreaded the summer as there\u2019s always at least one week of unbearable heat. Even 25+ is too much for the Tubes without air con.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t There are more people renting than ever before in London, with many unable to afford to buy. As such, most of us are stuck in flats without a balcony, garden or roof terrace and it sucks. <\/p>\n Sure, we\u2019re lucky that London has so many incredible green spaces to offer, but there are times when we\u2019d much rather kick back and enjoy the privacy and comfort of our own little oasis, instead of having to traipse to the nearest park where we\u2019ll be surrounded by strangers.<\/p>\n And of course, our homes don\u2019t have air con. As the temperature climbs outside, so does the thermostat inside, leaving us feeling like we\u2019re trapped in a sauna. Trying to sleep at night in these conditions is almost impossible and we\u2019ll find ourselves desperately testing every hack to cool off<\/a> we can find. At this point, I\u2019ve tried just about everything \u2013 from cool showers before bed to putting bedding in the freezer and putting a bowl of ice water in front of a fan for DIY air con. <\/p>\n One Londoner finds it so \u2018unbearable\u2019 to be at her home in the summer that she books a holiday to get away from the \u2018stuffy\u2019 weather.<\/p>\n Helen Clarke, a PR consultant, told Metro<\/strong>: \u2018Personally, I find summer in London stuffy! I live in a south-facing flat that gets all the afternoon and evening sun and it can become unbearable.<\/p>\n \u2018I tend to go abroad for a few weeks to take a break from the London heat. I\u2019d much rather be relaxing somewhere in the Med, with a sea breeze and an Aperol in hand!\u2019<\/p>\n Can\u2019t say we blame her to be honest.<\/p>\n \t\t In summer, our parks got completely taken over by just about everyone and their mum.<\/p>\n Any and every patch of grass in the city becomes a hot commodity, so much so that it ends up feeling like you\u2019re in the midst of the crowd at a rather rubbish festival. There will likely be some guy blasting terrible music for all to hear, empty beer cans all over the ground, and half naked people as far as the eye can see. <\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t exactly make for the Pinterest-worthy picnic you\u2019d been picturing\u2026 <\/p>\n And just wait until you\u2019re several tinnies in and need a wee \u2014 there won\u2019t be a public toilet in sight.<\/p>\n \t\t Undoubtedly, the worst part of summer in the city is having to use the underground, with the majority of lines having no air con.<\/p>\n And the one you\u2019ll want to avoid at all costs? It is, of course, the Central Line, which Londoners know is horrendously hot at the best of times, but becomes hotter than hell in summer.<\/p>\n \u2018The Central Line being hotter than Satan\u2019s home sauna is my current main complaint about summer in London,\u2019 says Metro\u2019s Ross McCafferty, deputy opinions editor.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re tired and sweaty, the last thing you want is to be packed in to a Tube carriage like a sardine, your face uncomfortably close to a stranger\u2019s armpit (or any body part for that matter), the air stifling and filled with the smell of BO. <\/p>\n Too many times I\u2019ve been left feeling like I\u2019m going to either throw up or pass out (perhaps both) while taking the Tube in the heat and my handheld fan certainly hasn\u2019t saved me. <\/p>\n Alternative public transport options aren\u2019t much better, as Olivia Woosey, Metro\u2019s deputy head of SEO, points out.<\/p>\n \u2018London comes alive in summer but getting around the city is horrendous \u2013 the buses are roasting, the tube is roasting. It\u2019s a real negative.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tIt’s not all doom and gloom though…\t\t\t<\/p>\n We asked the Metro<\/strong> team what they love about summer in the city and they had plenty of positives to share.<\/p>\n Mel Evans, partnerships and projects editor and our very own resident Aussie, said: \u2018London in summer is better vibes than Sydney in summer and I stand by it.\u2019<\/p>\n While junior publisher, Sarah Bradbury, told us: \u2018I love it. I feel like it comes alive. People are happier, pubs are buzzing after work, people actually\u00a0want\u00a0to hang out and meet up. The smell of Aperol and sun cream is just the surrounding scent \u2013 that and some BO. The Circle and District line is my hack. The AC is the only thing that keeps me going on the commute to the office. <\/p>\n \u2018Also the parks are full of people having picnics, the return of picky bit dinner\/girl dinner and tinnies. Catch me outside, how about that.\u2019<\/p>\n Liv Woosey agreed, saying: \u2018When I lived in london always felt like it was a \u201csummer city\u201d given it has so many parks which have such a fun vibe in summer, everyone stands outside the pubs after work, there\u2019s tons of events all over and lots of them are free.\u2019<\/p>\n And video producer, Jed Bradley, who hails from New Zealand, praised London\u2019s \u2018spectacular range of green spaces and commons to choose from\u2019.<\/p>\n Do you have a story to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Arrow Arrow![\"Record](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-1242017456.jpg\")
\n\t\tWhen the temperature rises above 25C, many people feel \u2018miserable\u2019 in London (Picture: In Pictures via Getty Images)
\nWe can\u2019t handle the heat <\/p>\n![\"Commuters](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-2164270274.jpg\")
\n\t\tHeat in London just hits different (Picture: In Pictures via Getty Images)
\nHousing woes<\/p>\n![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-2165970590.jpg\")
\n\t\tMost of us have to sit in parks as we don\u2019t have our own outside spaces (Picture: In Pictures via Getty Images)
\nPark life<\/p>\n![\"Crowded](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-2207700375.jpg\")
\n\t\tTaking public transport in the heat is the absolute worst\u2026 especially the Central Line (Credits: Getty Images)
\nCentral Line or Satan\u2019s Line?<\/p>\n
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