A hailstorm swept London on Wednesday morning as temperatures plunged in the capital.
Londoners shared video of the hail pounding pavements and gardens. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife, Lady Victoria, were even caught in it as they made their way from 10 Downing Street to the House of Lords for the State Opening of Parliament.
According to the Met Office, temperatures were set to hover around 12C throughout much of the day.
6° & hail mid May!? London come on!! pic.twitter.com/cLsat9zFDh
— K🤍 (@Keirashley) May 13, 2026
Big fat hail in South London! pic.twitter.com/hblk5ENtA2
— MaryAnn Johanson (she/her) (@maryannjohanson) May 13, 2026
That will make London colder than cities north of the capital, such as Finland’s capital Helsinki, where the Met Office predicts a high of 17C on Wednesday, and Norwegian capital Oslo, where 15C is forecast.
It will remain cold in London for the rest of the week with a high of 14C predicted on Thursday and 15C on Friday.
But it looks like it’s going to get a lot warmer next week.
BBC Weather is reporting highs of 24C from Thursday, May 21, to Saturday, May, 23, with temperatures staying above 20C into the following week, which is May half-term for many London schools.
