dunroving

You are correct. This was illustrated from historical rainfall data, in a BBC program called .... Guess What? Rain.


... so we are not just obsessed with talking about the weather, there is now a series of documentaries about it (Rain was the best so far ... though I missed the one on Wind).

jmh

I will be looking out for that series! Sounds very interesting

Bevm

England has microclimates because of the Gulf Stream, prevailing winds and such. So no one can generalize.

I live near Seattle, but Victoria gets a lot less rain because it's in the rain shadow of the Olympic mountains. I'd say Seattle in general gets a lot more rain than England. Not sure about Scotland!

I believe the SW round about Torquay has statistically the mildest climate in England. Further south, Gulf Stream, and protected from winds off the Atlantic, but let's face it, if you want Florida weather, stay in Florida. You're not going to get that kind of sun intensity in the UK. If you want to escape the Florida summers -- very wise -- move to southern England for those months.

Bev

dunroving

It was on BBC4. Here it is on their Web site (if you know how to do the proxy server thing, you could watch it on iPlayer):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode..._Weather_Rain/

(oops, forgot you are in the UK - so you don't need the proxy server thingamajig!)

jmh

Much appreciated. I will watch it!

N1cky

Everyone says the Brits are obsessed with the weather however, since moving to LA I have discovered that Californians are even worse.

5 minutes of rain = panic about 'the storm', warnings of mudslides and everyone crashing their car 'cos they don't have any decent tires.

Wind = red flag warnings on the news. Don't go in the sea. And if its been dry for a while fire hazard

Sun = heatstroke (all the old folks sat in the mall make me laugh, reverse from all the old folks sat at bingo in winter in the UK). Major fire hazard

June = June Gloom

March-November = Water shortage complain that it never rains

Dec-March = snow on higher ground, major roads out of LA closed

And the new one for this week 'Earthquake Weather' - yes apparantly the grey skies and occasional gusts of wind mean we will have an earthquake (I laughed at this one, but after Friday I might believe it)

Still doesn't beat my mother in law saying 'what's this new fangled wind chill? they didn't have it when I was a kid'

BristolUK

My only problem with UK weather was that you couldn't rely on anything more than a few days away.

You could book a fortnight's summer holiday and have lousy weather almost the whole time. Arrange a BBQ or picnic for the coming weekend in the middle of summer and have it rained off.

I'd love the UK climate here.

Merseygirl

"Personally it's the opposite for me. I get SAD in the relentless heat and boring blue sky days that seem to go on forever here".

Yes, I am another one who finds the relentless sun, heat and blue skies of an Australian summer very trying.
I much prefer the period from Mid April to October in southern Australia when you get more of a variety of sun, cloud and rain. And the countryside is greener (though never vibrant English green).

teresa1003

I love the weather in the UK, been back 8 months after living in Memphis Tn for six years, where for 6 months the heat and humidity is unbearable, plus the mosquitos eat you alive, so the idea most people have of bbqs and spending time outside in hot climates is not reality.

Nu-Shooz

Answer is NO...i don't and never will yearn for sunny weather after 3 years of heat in Perth. I love the weather in UK now lol.

Anyway i hate eggs...and sucking them is even worse

Chi_town

I have just returned (from Chicago) to Dublin. And yes, I would have to say the weather is worse then I remember it. And even the kids are going nuts dodging in and out to play soccer in between rain showers!

I think what we will really miss this summer is being able to plan ie lets have a barbq on Sunday etc, the way we coud for the last 5 years in the U.S. Its going to be more a case of 'if its fine lets have a barbie'!

So, yes, for me, the weather is a huge negative. But I think Dublin always gets pretty dreary weather, even Southern Ireland gets a more pleasant summer...

OrkneytoPortugal

Horizontal rain most certainly does exist in Britain - I experienced it 300 days out of 365 for the 6 years we lived on Orkney. There were days when I had to drive my 5 year old the 100m to the school door, because it wasn't safe for her to walk - she came close to being 'gusted away'. If it was REALLY bad we had school 'wind closures'! And in the winter months, only having 6 hours of daylight is depressing. But ah....those glorious summer nights of the 'simmer dim' when the sun barely sets...

SarahInTX

I just got home from playing softball. It was around 50 degrees F and it rained for most of the game. Regardless, we had a blast!

In Texas, we'd've run for cover at the first drop of rain!

Jerseygirl

They play softball in the UK?

SarahInTX

Yup. Who'da thunk it?! I left all my gear in the US thinking I wouldn't be using it.