London - climate, park and gardens (0)

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the largest metropolitan area in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, London's history goes back to its founding by the Romans . Since its foundation, London has been part of many movements and phenomena throughout history, including the English Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and the Gothic Revival. The city's core, the ancient City of London, still retains its limited medieval boundaries; but since at least the 19th century, the name "London" has also referred to the whole metropolis that has developed around it. Today the bulk of this conurbation forms the London region of England and the Greater London administrative area, with its own elected mayor and assembly .
London is one of the world's most important business, financial and cultural centres and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion and the arts contributes to its status as a major global city. Central London is the headquarters of more than half of the UK's top 100 listed companies (the FTSE 100) and over 100 of Europe 's 500 largest companies. The city is a major tourist destination for both domestic and overseas visitors, with annual expenditure by tourists of around £15 billion . London hosted the 1908 and 1948 Summer Olympic Games and will host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Samuel Johnson, author of the first complete dictionary, famously wrote about the city, citing “You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford .”
Greater London contains four World Heritage Sites: the Tower of London; the historic settlement of Greenwich ; the Royal Botanic Gardens , Kew; and the site comprising the Palace of Westminster , Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret 's Church.
London's population draws from a wide range of peoples , cultures, and religions, and over 300 languages are spoken within the city. As of
July 2007, it had an official population of 7,556,900 within the boundaries of Greater London making it the most populous municipality in the European Union, with a population more than double that of its nearest rival. As of 2001, the Greater London Urban Area had a population of 8 278 251 and the metropolitan area is estimated to have a total population of just under 14 million, the largest metropolitan area in the EU. The public transport network , administered by Transport for London, is one of the most extensive in the world, Heathrow Airport is the busiest airport in the world by international passenger traffic and the air space is the busiest of any city in the world.
Parks and gardens
The largest parks in the central area of London are the Royal Parks of Hyde Park and its neighbour Kensington Gardens at the western edge of central London and Regent 's Park on the northern edge. This park contains London Zoo, the world's oldest scientific zoo, and is located near the tourist attraction of Madame Tussauds Wax Museum . Closer to central London are the smaller Royal Parks of Green Park and St. James's Park. Hyde Park in particular is popular for sports and sometimes hosts open -air concerts.A number of large parks lie outside the city centre, including the remaining Royal Parks of Greenwich Park to the south - east and Bushy Park and Richmond Park to the south-west, as well as Victoria Park, East London to the east. Primrose Hill to the north of Regent's Park is a popular spot to view the city skyline. Some more informal , semi-natural open spaces also exist , including the 791-acre (3.2 km2) Hampstead Heath of North London. This incorporates Kenwood House, the former stately home and a popular location in the summer months where classical musical concerts are held by the lake, attracting thousands of people every weekend to enjoy the music, scenery and fireworks .

Buses

London's bus network is one of the largest in the world, running 24 hours a day, with 8,000 buses, 700 bus routes, and over 6 million passenger journeys made every weekday . In 2003, the network's ridership was estimated at over 1.5 billion passenger trips per annum , more than the Underground . Around £850 m is taken in revenue each year .London has the largest wheelchair accessible network in the world and, from the 3rd quarter of 2007, became more accessible to hearing and visually impaired passengers as audio- visual announcements were introduced. The distinctive red double-decker buses are internationally recognised, and are a trademark of London transport along with black cabs and the Tube .

Climate

London has a temperate marine climate, like much of the British Isles, so the city rarely sees extremely high or low temperatures . Summers are warm with average high temperatures of 19 °C - 24 °C and lows of11 °C - 14 °C, however , temperatures can exceed 25 °C on many days , and in almost every year they exceed 30 °C on some days. The record high temperature in London was recorded on the 10th August 2003 when 39 °C was recorded. Winters in London are chilly, but rarely below freezing with daytime highs around 8 °C - 12 °C, while spring has mild days and cool evenings. The highest temperature ever recorded in London was 39 °C in August 2003. The lowest ever recorded temperature is −10 °C London has regular but generally light precipitation throughout the year, with average precipitation of 583.6 millimeters every year. Snow is relatively uncommon, particularly because heat from the urban area can make London up to 5 °C warmer than the surrounding areas in winter . Some snowfall, however, is usually seen up to a few times a year. London is in USDA Hardiness zone 9, and AHS Heat Zone 2.In the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th , London was noted for its dense fogs and smogs . Following the deadly Great Smog of 1952, the Clean Air Act 1956 was passed , leading to the decline of such severe pollution in the capital.