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Weather, climate and the UK

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Weather is what you get today; climate is what you expect over many years. The UK's position explains its mild, wet climate.

Weather or climate?

Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a particular time: today's temperature, rain, wind and cloud.
Climate is the average weather of a place over a long time, usually 30 years.
Instruments: thermometer (temperature), rain gauge (rainfall), anemometer (wind speed), wind vane (wind direction), barometer (air pressure).

Three types of rainfall

Rain forms when moist air rises, cools and condenses into clouds.
Relief rainfall: air is forced up over mountains. The other side, the rain shadow, is drier.
Frontal rainfall: warm air rises over cold air at a front.
Convectional rainfall: the sun heats the ground, warm air rises quickly, often causing thunderstorms.

The UK's climate

The UK has a temperate maritime climate: mild, wet winters and warm summers, with no extreme temperatures.
The prevailing wind is from the south-west, bringing moist air from the Atlantic. The North Atlantic Drift, a warm ocean current, keeps winters mild.
The west is wetter than the east, because moist air rises over western mountains. The south is usually warmer than the north.
Low pressure brings cloud, wind and rain; high pressure brings settled, dry weather.
Worked example

Explain why the Lake District is much wetter than London.

  1. The prevailing south-westerly winds bring moist air from the Atlantic.
  2. In the Lake District this air is forced up over mountains, cools and condenses: relief rainfall.
  3. By the time air reaches London in the east, it has lost much of its moisture, and the land is lower.

Answer: Relief rainfall in the western mountains, with London in the drier east.

Key idea

Weather is day to day; climate is the 30-year average. Rain forms when air rises, cools and condenses: relief, frontal and convectional rainfall. The UK is temperate maritime: south-westerly winds and the North Atlantic Drift; the west is wetter, the south warmer.

The interactive lesson includes the diagrams for this topic.

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