It’s the very last thing I expected when I stepped off the Eurostar at St. Pancras station yesterday. The UK has a certain reputation where the weather is concerned, so imagine my surprise when I found out that I’ve unknowingly walked into Britain’s first heat wave in three years.

Now granted, after just spending the better part of a week freezing my bits off in Switzerland amidst endless fog and rain, I was quite pleased to see the sun shining and feel the warmth of its rays on my face.

But I had no idea of the frenzy a few days of heat and sun could unleash. Yesterday, it was 30C in London. And the media were going bananas. The weather was the top story with all outlets, people everywhere were complaining of the heat and websites are loaded with handy tips on how to keep cool and survive the heatwave. There is already some concern that hospitals might become overwhelmed with people seeking attention for heat-related ailments if this persists beyond a few days.

To me, 30C is just nice summer weather. Of course, I come from southern Ontario where this is more the norm than the exception…and where the use of air conditioning is wide-spread. I guess it’s all a matter of what you’re used to!