London leaf peeping kicks off early; as in August early ! Tell me has the season opened in the States yet ?

Some years ago Blondie and I did an amazing trip to New England in autumn. It was here that we were introduced to the wonderful past time of 'leaf peeping'.

-------New England leaf peeping September 2014 -------------------------------------

To the uninitiated this is the observation and photographing of tree foliage changing colours as the autumnal weather takes hold.

I can tell you that this activity is big business on the east coast of the States. In every motel and hotel, we were engaged by the staff in earnest discussions about the prime locations, in their neck of the woods, to undertake an intensive session of fruitful leaf peeping.

It seems that this term hasn't really made it back across the pond. Nonetheless it is a term that we both have willingly adopted; even if the leaf peeping in London is not nearly as spectacular as those we saw in the states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Today to my shock, while wandering through North London, I discovered that the autumnal foliage was already upon us, despite such warm summer weather to date. I was flummoxed by this discovery. How could we have leaf peeping in August ?

-------London leaf peeping August 2018---------------------------------------------------

--------Questions posed to the Steemit community -------------------------
Has leaf peeping started already over on the coast of the states and has anyone else spotted it happening so early in Britain/Europe ?

Are there any rules around when you can declare the opening of the leaf peeping season ?

If you have any pictures then feel welcome to send them through with your replies.