UK Climate

The UK has a unique climate with cool summers and relatively mild winters. Whilst there are parts of the world with similar summers or similar winters, there is nowhere in the world with the same summers and winters as ours. The South Island of New Zealand and Tasmania, for example, have similar summers to ours, but their winters are milder chiefly because they are nearer the equator.

The UK is small compared with the other land masses in the northern hemisphere - hence they are more influenced by the ocean than other European countries, and the Gulf Stream helps to keep winters milder compared with other landlocked nations with a similar latitude.

The latitude of the UK means that they are influenced by predominantly westerly winds with depressions and their associated fronts (bands of cloud and rain), moving to the east or north-east across the North Atlantic, from the eastern coast of North America, bringing with them unsettled and windy weather, particularly in winter.

Between these depressions, there are often small mobile anticyclones that bring a period of fair weather. Sometimes large, stationary anticyclones become established near the UK where they effectively act as a 'block' to the regular passage of the depressions. These larger anticyclones can often last for over a month, and completely change the character of the weather. In winter, these blocking anticyclones bring dry weather, but with the cooling at night the drop in temperatures results in fog, which can be reluctant to clear the following day when the weak sunshine is unable to raise the temperature. If one of these anticyclones becomes positioned to north of the UK, often they become established over Scandinavia, and easterly winds on their southern side draw very cold air from the continent of Europe. During the summer, these blocking anticyclones can lead to drought conditions, as rain-bearing fronts are 'diverted' around the country.

There are many regional variations and microclimates in the UK, ranging from the nearly subtropical climate of Cornwall, to the dry semi-arid conditions of East Anglia to the Arctic tundra conditions which can be experienced in the highlands of Scotland. The western and northern parts of the British Isles tend to lie close to the normal path of the Atlantic depressions, giving mild and stormy winters and cool and windy summers when the depressions track a little further north. These areas also have the highest land, and the upland barriers have the effect of producing significant increases in rainfall. The lowland, mainly on the eastern side, has a similar climate, but less severe winters.

There are also other regional variations - the south is warmer than the north, while the west is wetter than the east. In general, the more extreme weather tends to occur in the mountainous and hilly areas where it is often cloudy, wet and windy.