Beavis10

You may think this an odd question, but we're thinking of moving to Halifax area and looked up how much rain it gets annually and apparently it's twice what London in the U.K gets.

Is this right? Does it really rain that much?

If so, I don't think it would be for us.

TIA

DandNHill

I was surprised when I read that. But what you need to understand is that it rains very heavily when it does rain. There are more blue skies in NS than in London. But when it rains, boy does it rain!!

Aviator

Yes

http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate...358&dispBack=0

Siouxie

Number of Days with Precipitation over the Last Year (monthly data) for Halifax (Shearwater) >
Total Precipitation over the Last Year (monthly data) for Halifax (Shearwater)

Beavis10

Thanks for the info all. We did look at the data that's how we found out how much there was.

The rain is one of the things that got us down in the UK. Planning outdoor stuff with the kids then having to cancel because it just rains for days on end.

Is it the same in NS? Or is it a massive burst or rain then clear for days, or do you find it's most days?

DandNHill

As per my reply above. When it rains it rains much more heavily than in the uk. So it doesn't rain as often and there are lots of blue skies.
I remember in England it tended to rain from mid July to early September just to spoil school holidays. I spent three summers in NS and they were great!

Moses2013

It really is a myth that the UK is so bad and different areas will be different for different people. Every year is different so people can't go by when they were there either. Halifax weather stations see between 130-140 rainy days + additional snow, so compared to Eastbourne weather station you have 25 fewer rainy days in Eastbourne. Even sunshine is just slightly higher in Halifax and won't be life changing. Of course your exact location and outlook in life can make a huge difference.

Vulcanoid

I'm not sure total precipitation is the most useful tool for this. One of the most common weathers in Britain is simple droplets-of-water-hanging-in-the-air, which can be miserable for days on end, but not result in much actually falling. Tropical areas with sudden downpours could notch up much higher amounts of 'rainfall', but also much higher levels of sunshine, and generally be considered more agreeable.

For what it's worth, London gets about 1480 hours of sunshine annually, to Halifax's 1950 - Halifax is some 33% more. To me, that sounds like a dramatically better scenario for wanting to be outside, even if total precipitation is higher.

BristolUK

Would NS look less rainy in a comparison to London if the period was just May to September?

Howefamily

I used to loathe rain in the UK as it was accompanied by the never ending grey skies. Now I love rain as I see it so little. As DandNHill said when it rains it chucks it down. It is like night and day to the UK rain wise.

Beavis10

Thanks everyone for your comments, they're really helpful.

It's true, the rain does seem to be continuous from the beginning of the summer holidays to the end, lol.

We really like the sound of NS but just wanted to get an idea of it weather wise. We love the snow so that isn't a problem and rain wise it doesn't sound that bad.

Thanks again.

Moses2013

That's not true though and just look at the real stats. There are more rainy days in Halifax and double the rainfall in my example with Eastbourne. If you want a good example, go to Bognor Regis where you have same annual amounts of sun and half the rainfall and fewer rainy days than Halifax. Saying all of that, even 50% more possible sunshine is pointless if you are in the wrong location, have the wrong job and don't change your thinking.

Vulcanoid

Well, the stats are true, and my interpretation of what I want is true, so.... <BUZZ> I'm sorry but thanks for playing. Now obviously, different people like different things, so to you the most important stat might be total days with rain. It isn't for everyone. Not that I'm clear why you're invoking Bognor and Eastbourne, when they asked to compare Halifax and London.

Moses2013

Well even London gets fewer rainy days and sunshine amounts are only slightly higher in Halifax depending where you are in London (1600 vs 1950). Fact is that it won't be life changing and other things can make the difference. Maybe a house with garden that gets the sun can make the difference, shorter working hours but just for the weather don't even think about it. If you want to test the weather, Bognor Regis is an example.

scrubbedexpat133

Are you taking account of the snowfall that Halifax receives vs London? Also it has plenty of foggy days.