Weather in the United Kingdom
Expats will find weather in the United Kingdom fickle and frequently changing.
The nation as a whole experiences a similar climate and bears the sudden shifts in day-to-day patterns in much the same way with little regional variation.
In general, weather in the UK is cool and characterised by overcast skies and habitual rainfall. Fog and low clouds move in during winter (unofficially, November to March) and expats will find the number of hours of sunshine shortened considerably. Snow does fall, but it rarely remains for long periods of time. Every decade or so the nation is known to experience a severe winter.
On the flip side, many expats are surprised to find that summers can be exceptionally hot and days can be very long; in Scotland there can be as many as 18 hours of sunshine. The opportunity for sunburn is short-lived; however, summer is a brief two month (July and August) affair and not even the Queen seems to be able to organise more stable warm weather. Though when the grim, grey of winter does lift the country comes alive and residents take advantage of the large number of parks and gardens.
Expats rarely move to the UK for the attractive weather, and it's best to be prepared with warm clothing and plenty of layers.
The nation as a whole experiences a similar climate and bears the sudden shifts in day-to-day patterns in much the same way with little regional variation.
In general, weather in the UK is cool and characterised by overcast skies and habitual rainfall. Fog and low clouds move in during winter (unofficially, November to March) and expats will find the number of hours of sunshine shortened considerably. Snow does fall, but it rarely remains for long periods of time. Every decade or so the nation is known to experience a severe winter.On the flip side, many expats are surprised to find that summers can be exceptionally hot and days can be very long; in Scotland there can be as many as 18 hours of sunshine. The opportunity for sunburn is short-lived; however, summer is a brief two month (July and August) affair and not even the Queen seems to be able to organise more stable warm weather. Though when the grim, grey of winter does lift the country comes alive and residents take advantage of the large number of parks and gardens.
Expats rarely move to the UK for the attractive weather, and it's best to be prepared with warm clothing and plenty of layers.
