Juliecabs

Yes it was, wasn't it neighbour! A balmy 24C according to my car.

Vash the Stampede

I'm an Australian who has lived in the UK for nearly 6 years now, and for the life of me I genuinely, honestly cannot understand why people complain about the weather so much over here.

The British climate is fantastic! Winters are perfectly bearable (only a little worse than the ones I used to get in Tassie) and the summers are gloriously mild. It doesn't rain nearly as much as people claim it does, and the entire country is beautifully green all year round. What's not to like?

Juliecabs

My son's Oz girlfriend is staying with us at the moment. She's from Brisbane. And she said the same thing Vash. She had heard nothing but bad things about the weather here and presumed she would be walking around wearing big jumpers and woolly socks but the temps have been between 22C and 31C every day she's been here. And hardly a cloud in the sky.

Julie. x

Vash the Stampede

Exactly!

When I first came here (January 2004), all the Poms were telling me "Ooh, I bet you're struggling with our winter!" I'd reply "Nope; cold winters are no problem for me because I lived in Tasmania for 15 years and I don't like hot weather anyway."

Then I'd have to explain where Tasmania is.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

It's in East Africa, just next to Uganda. I'm surprised they have cold winters there.

Alfresco

You need a reorientation program mista flouncer! welcome back.


Oi, Tas is nowhere near the Bahamas!

MartinLuther

Isn't Uganda a fictional country created by Thomas More?

MartinLuther

Personally my problem with the UK weather was that the winters were too long and the summers were unreliable. Here I have short winters and reliable summers (i.e. summers that turn up every year). I agree that a good British summer is a wonderful thing to experience but I get that here (every year). I also get a few Greek holidays and some trips to the South of France thrown in for good measure; without having to leave home.

On the flip side to what the Poms tell you I do get Aussies saying "You must be use to this?" when it's cold or when it's raining.

ozzieeagle

Tend to agree, but doesn't it go Brown/Grey in winter Vash ? My memory could be playing tricks but I liken bleak dry brown dusty February here, to January's Brown-Grey Buckinghamshire and Kent. London isn't too bad in Winter.... All those lights

MartinLuther

It's not really green all year around in the UK. Although the grass tends to stay green the woods can look a bit brown at the end of autumn and through winter.

For example


In my first winter here it was noticeable how alive everything looked through the winter. I know someone's going to say that it looks lovely in the snow (or the sunshine) but to be honest we didn't get that much snow in London and the local snow gums are very pretty in the snow as well.

livinginreality

Yep agree with you Vash!Having spent 30 years in Oz,people here find it hard to believe it was freezing in winter (I lived up country)and obviously very hot in summer.I always say to people the weather here suits my skin lol And why would'nt it?I'm english afterall!!!!!

BadgeIsBack

Compare and contrast..

I was watching a crime show on TV last based in the UK and it was very dark and grey - obviously they shot the episode in winter or something and it was based on the outskirts of a city. It was supposed to be like that for effect - but I can't say I miss that sort of weather and it does get like that.

Then I've seen scenes of the British countryside in summer where they've lapped up the sunshine to good effect.

Even Melbourne in winter is still very green, and bright, even if the skies may be grey.

I'm not a fan of the scorched earth and brown grass we've had in Feb and March these last few years in Melbourne. It looks shocking. In 2007/8 when suburban gardens were disappearing our backyard only browned off the middle of March after a mini-heatwave, last year it was brown from January.
But rain at the end of March and in April fixed it in one week!

BadgeIsBack

I wouldn't let a thing like that worry your head.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

No, that was Umbongo Umbongo, somewhere near the Congo.

jmh

I'm with you mate. I'm a kiwi and I think the weather (in the Southeast) is great. I cycle a lot and have a nice tan from the sunshine we have had the last few months. One snow fall in 18 years is quite exciting and only lasts a day or two. So the leaves fall off the trees in autumn. Big deal.

If do concede that certain parts of the UK (in the West and parts of Scotland) have had particularly wet weather this summer so I can see how it might get you down, but to extrapolate that to the whole country is ridiculous. I have some friends in 'the North' who say they have had an exceptionally sunny summer this year.