If you think of wet places in Europe, London is likely the first city to come to mind. Despite this reputation, the UK capital is actually one of the driest in Europe. In 2025, the Heathrow weather station registered just 462 mm of precipitation, while Lisbon received 781 mm, Helsinki 633 mm, and Rome a staggering 1,069 mm. It is possible that Heathrow’s location within an urban heat island creates a specific, dry microclimate; however, even the Abbey Wood station at the Thames estuary, which experiences different local conditions, recorded only 559 mm.
Lisbon, one of Europe’s southernmost capitals, is very dry in the summer but receives significant rainfall during the off-season. Helsinki, one of the northernmost capitals of Europe, experiences its most voluminous rain during summer storms. Rome receives consistent rainfall throughout the year, including an extreme event that brought 70 mm in a single day. In contrast, London’s wettest day in 2025 was just 20 mm, with the vast majority of days remaining well below that threshold.
Helen Ilus 