UK Climate

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  • UK Climate
    • Temperate
      • Temperature in the UK varies with the seasons
        • Coldest in Winter
          • temperature ranges from 5oC Jan to 20oC August
        • hottest in summer
          • temperature ranges from 5oC Jan to 20oC August
      • Rainfall is fairly high all year round but also varies with seasons
        • Higher in Autumn and winter (120mm)
        • lower in spring and summer (65mm)
      • Winds in UK mostly warm south westerlies but cold north winds also common
        • wind speed varies considerably by season
          • generally stronger in Autumn and winter
    • Result of Latitude and Location
      • Latitude
        • UK is at mid-latitude (50-55oN)
        • doesn't get very hot as sun never very high
        • Also not very cold as several hours of daylight even in winter
      • Location (Relation to Atmospheric cells)
        • UK is on northern edge of Ferrel Cell
        • surface winds bring warm air from south and warm air rises= low pressure and causes depressions
          • =rain throughout year
      • Maritime Location
        • Surrounded by water which gains and loses heat more slowly than land
          • =cool wind blowing from sea to land in summer and warm winds blowing from sea to land in winter
            • so summer is cooler and winter is warmer than inland locations at same latitude
      • Near Gulf Stream
        • =makes UK warmer than many places at same latitude
    • Climate in UK
      • Temperature
        • warmer down south because of more insolation
          • Due to sun being higher in sky and therefore more hours of daylight than North
          • North- less amount of insolation at higher latitudes
        • Places further from sea experience higher summer temps.
          • known as continentality
      • Precipitation
        • North and West of UK see greater amounts of rain
          • due to
            • Relief Rainfall
              • occurs when moist air that has been travelling over the sea is forced to rise over upland areas.
                • as it rises and cools air reaches dew point (saturated) and condensation occurs=rainfall
                • Rain Shadow
                  • as air that has lost alot of moisture over the hills sinks back down, warm up and as warm air can hold more moisture =less chance of rainfall
            • Frontal Rainfall
              • when air is pushed up over a wedge of cooler air where two air masses meet in a frontal system
                • cooler polar air undercuts warmer tropical air
                  • warmer air forced to rise cools, water vapour condenses forms clouds and rain over wide area
                    • especially in winter when successive depressions approach west shores
        • Convectional rainfall
          • rainfall due to localised heating of ground
            • Air above ground is warmed becomes less dense than surrounding air and rises
          • South East Britain
      • Wind
        • winds stronger in West
          • because south westerly surface winds come over the ocean
            • ocean is flat so there's nothing to slow winds down
              • when hit land affected by hills and become weaker
        • strong at high altitudes as less obstacles

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