How does the UK’s weather vary?
The UK has a temperate climate. In general, this means that Britain gets cool, wet winters and warm, wet summers. It rarely features the extremes of heat or cold, drought or wind that are common in other climates. The weather conditions are also very changeable.
The first Climate graphs are useful graphs which combine a bar graph (rainfall amount) and a line graph (temperature) to inform us of the average yearly climatic conditions in a location. is for London, in the south-east of the UK. This region is characterised by a warm and dry climate in the summer and a cold and dry climate in the winter.
Not all parts of the UK have the same climate. The second climate graph is for Cumbria in the mountainous north-west of England. Temperatures are generally cooler and there is more rainfall throughout the year.
Rainfall and temperature variations
Rainfall
On average, it rains once every three days in the UK. Highland areas to the west receive the most annual rainfall compared to the low-lying areas in the east. The south-west prevailing winds bring moisture from the Atlantic Ocean.
Temperature
Within the UK there are regional variations in temperature. Generally, the further south, the warmer the climate. Choropleth maps are colour-coded maps with differences in shading techniques that represent a certain value. from the Met Office show the south-east of the UK is often warmest in the spring, during the month of April. Whereas Scotland is the coldest region, together with Cumbria in northern England and Snowdonia in north-west Wales.