Most Googled: why is London weather so unpredictable?

You ask, we answer: tackling the most popular Google searches about London.

Any sensible Londoner will know that it’s highly unwise to leave the house at any time of year without an umbrella, flip flops, woolly hat, sun cream and thermal undies in their bag – just in case. But why is our weather more unpredictable than Kanye West’s Twitter feed?

Nicola Maxey, a spokeswoman for the Met Office, says the fact that we’re part of an island is some of the story. In addition to being battered by Atlantic winds, the UK sits ‘at a junction where weather systems meet, meaning different systems vie with each other, resulting in a wide range of weather.’

Despite London’s changeable climate, though, we experience less extreme cold than elsewhere in the country. This is because of the ‘urban heat island’ effect. Maxey explains, ‘the heat generated by the capital city tends to offset the cold and boost the heat.’ Toasty. Still won’t stop us whingeing, mind.

And while we’re at it: why does London have hard water?