Geography

Britain's Weather

• The weather in the UK is very variable
• When variations in daily weather conditions are aceraged out over a number of years, the pattern describes a country's climate
• Temperatures are neither too hot or cold
• This is called a Temperate
• This is due to its location between the cold Arctic region and the hot Tropic of Cancer.
• The UK recieves prevaling winds from the south-west.
• The UK has a cool temperate maritime climate

Depressions

• Much of Britain weather comes from low-pressure weather systems called depressions
• They travel from WEST to EAST across the UK into western Europe.
• They bring changeable weather with 2 main belts of rainfall; one with a warm front and the other cold front following it.

Winter Anticyclones

• In winter high pressure weather systems also affect Western Europe
• They are caused by the cooling of the land
• This is because between September and March the Sun provides less intense heat over the northern hemisphere
• As the land cools it chills the air above it
• This sinks causing high pressure at the surface
• As air is not rising there are clear skies during both the day and night and extremely low temperatures
• This sinking only affects 2 kilometres of the ground but bring cooooold weather.

Summer Anticyclones

• Summer of '99 brought hottest conditions experienced in England
• Driest July since '11
• Temperatures overtook those in Mediterranean
• During July and early August there were several periods of hot weather in diffparts of the country
• All associated with warm anticyclones
• Developed when warm air from the Tropic of Cancer was brought by upper air winds towards Western Europe
• As travelled north it became cool and sank over UK to bring high pressure, clear skies and tropical air

Mediterranean

• Many UK residents go other countries for main hol
• Lots travel south during peak holiday months of July & August to the islands & mainland resorts of Med
• The Costa Blanca of Spain is due south from London
• The popularity of of resorts like Benidorm has lasted for over 30 years
• Climate is always hot and dry in Med
• In Italy the cliamte can vary a great deal
• Those areas which are further from influence of sea experience a wider range of temperatures
• They heat up and cool down more than coastal areas
• This pattern is called continentality
• In mountainous areas such as Italian Alps winter temperatures can be very low!

Monsoons

• A monsoon is a seasonal wind
• In the summer it blows northwards over India and Bangladesh
• In the winter it blows southwards over these countries towards northern Australia
• This cause dry weather conditions in Mumbai (Bombay)
• When rains come rivers flood the land and fish spawn in the rice fields
• People put away their ploughs and get out their fishing nets
• Nearly 2000mm of rain falls in the summer
• The north-west is a particularly arid region