Conditions: Hot and humid today, around 30C. This was the last day of the summer's fifth heatwave, a week after London was officially declared in drought. There were some grey clouds and thunder, but the rain never came.
Heat on the path: This is a long route to attempt in these temperatures. Shade was good under the trees on the Common but patchy on the road and field sections. Anyone walking this in the heat should start early and carry water, which is what we did. We left the house with wet heads, hoping the latent heat drying out our hair would help to keep us cool.
Footpath Condition and Navigation: Hard, dry and uneven in places, with no mud anywhere. Signage just okay.
Litter and Debris: Some light litter observed.
Biodiversity & Water: Observed a few anthills. An ant colony treats its nest as a climate control system, so in extreme heat the hills can look dead or abandoned while the ants are alive deeper in the soil. Old mounds like these mean the grassland hasn't been disturbed recently, which is good news for the woodpeckers that feed on them. No wild fowl observed as waterways are bone dry. We are now heading into moulting season, so it is unclear whether the drought or normal seasonal changes are driving the low bird counts.
Safety: No anti-social behaviour or other threats encountered.
