WEATHER LORE

BRITISH WEATHER AND CLIMATE

It’s often said about us here in Britain that we don’t have climate, only weather! Well, it’s certainly true that the most constant theme in Britain, meteorologically speaking, is the inconsistency. Not for us the monotony of many climes, here variety and changeability dominate.

Our climate is technically called ‘cool-temperate, west coast, maritime’, a bit of a mouthful, but many climatologists consider it idiosyncratic enough to be given the simple label ‘British Type’.

So we do have climate, but a climate made up of monthly average temperatures or mean annual rainfalls is merely the ‘invention of man’. Means and norms tell us something but, of course, the actual figures recorded for any month or year never coincide exactly with expected values.

In fact it could be said that we have 4 climates! Imagine a line from north to south through the centre of the country, this is the 5-degree Celsius January isotherm; and another from west to east, again through the centre, is the 15-degree Celsius July isotherm. We’ve now spilt the country into 4 quarters, each having its own characteristic temperature, rainfall and patterns of seasonal change.

Take the south west corner first, Devon, Cornwall and the Scilly Isles. Lets spend the winter there….

...surrounded by sea and bathed in the warm waters of the North Atlantic Drift, an extension of the Gulf Stream, temperatures very rarely fall below

freezing. In fact the Isles of Scilly have a mean January

temperature of 8 degrees Celsius and sub-tropical plants flourish!

The north east coast of England or east coast of Scotland will do for the spring. In April and May these areas experience refreshing sea breezes as cool dry air from the North Sea push back the more usual and damper westerly winds.

Many east coast resorts such as Scarborough have based their success on this ‘bracing’ weather.

Kent and the south east coast of England will be best in summer. Characteristically this quarter experiences both the highest temperatures and the lowest rainfall during the summer months. The area is often overlain by anticyclones or hot, dry air may be drawn in from the Continent, so close to the east.

Finally we’ll autumn in the north west.

The Lakes or the Highlands and Islands of Scotland are kept mild by the same warm ocean current affecting the south west...

...and the russet tones of the autumnal woodlands should not be missed.

Ah! ‘The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness!’