In the UK, weather is still the hot topic

As the whole world knows, Britons' two favorite conversation topics are the weather and football-soccer that is, not the American version.

But with the summer break there's not much to say about soccer, so thoughts naturally turn to weather, and boy, it is hot.

Naturally, the newspapers can't agree on whether it is the hottest in 20 years or 40 years-all I can tell you is I took great pleasure in telling my youngest, who lives and works in Dakar, Senegal, that on one day earlier this month London was officially hotter than Dakar.