Residents of west and south London, and Pangbourne in Berkshire, are being warned not to touch a parasitic caterpillar which can cause severe rashes and itchy skin in humans and animals.

Met Office forecasters are warning of a stormy end to April as 50 to 60 miles per hour winds are expected to lash many parts of the UK.

Italians are flocking to London in droves seeking their 'bella casa' (beautiful home) and are outspending the Russians in their bid for their perfect palace. According to a survey of prime central London property sales by Knight Frank, Italians have accounted for 8% of purchases since January, beating Russians to the top spot of foreign buyers. What with the Euro in turmoil and Greek debt default widely predicted, London property is seen as a stable investment across Europe.

West London motorists can now find out how much time they will have to add onto their journeys when the Olympics comes to London. By visiting the website motorists can select various destinations around London that they intend to drive to from Hammersmith during the Games, which take place from July 27, to August 12.

With many trees still to shed their leaves and some sunflowers still blossoming it has come as no surprise this November and autumn have been the second warmest on record in the UK according to provisional Met Office figures. Statistics for November show that parts of the country have seen monthly temperatures of up to 3.0 °C above the long-term average.

Schools, hospitals, libraries and many public services are set to be closed tomorrow due to the nationwide strike by the Public Services Union. In west London, the Royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea have confirmed over half of its schools will be shut because of the industrial action over pensions. It said on a dedicated web page: "As of Wednesday 23 November, 38 schools have been in contact regarding the strike action of 30 November.