London is a SAD place in winter
As we drag ourselves out of winter, there are clear skies ahead
Around the world, there prevails the same stereotypical image of London: dark clouds stretching to the horizon, a heavy downpour, men and women in black suits with black umbrellas wading across flooded pavements. But the reality is quite different. Compared with other global cities, rainfall here is pretty unremarkable. New York, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore all receive far more rain than London.
No, the truly defining characteristic of the London climate is not rain, but cloud. The constant, oppressive blanket of grey, blocking out the sun, casting a feeble half-light.
This is felt most strikingly in the winter. One of the side effects of living so far north is that a winter's day can be as short as eight hours. This, coupled with the almost omnipresent cloud cover, means that it's not uncommon for a Londoner, during the winter, to go several weeks without seeing the sun.
Whether we realise it or not, this has a huge impact. Humans have evolved to naturally depend upon sunlight; extended deprivation has serious effects on both physical and psychological health. Take Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a condition afflicting people all around the world, in which normally healthy individuals experience bouts of severe depression during the winter. Psychiatric jargon aside, we can all relate to the uplifting feeling of waking to a beautiful clear sky, and to the corresponding downer of a dark, overcast morning, so often the lot of us Londoners.
Yet in spite of its desolate winters, London itself is an incredible city. Few places on Earth offer such a wealth and diversity of culture and opportunity. To quote the great writer Samuel Johnson: "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."
Nevertheless we might, in the harsh months of January and February, find ourselves yearning for a more pleasant, more hospitable climate – something a little less conducive to depression and suicide. In the end though, that wish is self-defeating. Those overcast skies are a vital part of London; they have defined and shaped its character. Without them, sure, we might gain a little more cheerfulness. But we would lose the identity of our city. We would no longer be Londoners, would no longer be living in London.
Also, it's not always this bad. The summer months are truly blessed – blue skies and ten p.m. sunsets. As we drag ourselves out of winter and reach towards spring, we can look forward with some hope: we've rode out the storm, and there are clear skies ahead.
