Weather in Britain

The Weather & Climate in Britain

A thunderstorm and rain over Stonehenge. — A thunderstorm and rain over Stonehenge

Britain has a bad reputation for its weather but actually the weather in general is fairly good.

The British Isles avoids extremes of temperature and the weather is usually not too hot in summer, neither is it too cold in winter.

On the whole, the weather is unsettled, however, and the old adage of "four seasons in a day" holds true. The vagaries of British climate means rain, drizzle, fog, mist, wind, hail, sleet, snow and even the occasional burst of sunshine.

An umbrella and waterproof clothing are always a good idea.

Summer weather in the south of England. — Summer weather in the south of England

Ribblehead Viaduct in the rain. — Ribblehead Viaduct in North Yorkshire in the rain

Climate of the British Isles

The climate in Britain is influenced by cool maritime polar air from the north and warm continental air from the south.

The jet stream brings frequent changes in atmospheric pressure and unsettled weather from the west. The Gulf Stream, an oceanic current, also from the west, brings warmer, wetter air ensuring that Britain is never too cold in winter. It moderates the affects of colder air from the north.

The coldest parts of Britain are in the higher latitudes of Scotland and northern England. The wettest areas are on the western coasts of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Higher temperatures and drier weather can be found in the south east around London, Cambridge, Kent and the Thames Valley.

The highest temperature recorded before the record-breaking heatwave of July 2002 was 38.7 °C in Cambridge Botanical Garden in July, 2019. This was exceeded by a temperature of 40.3°C at Coningsby in Lincolnshire on July 19, 2022.

The lowest temperature recorded so far is -27.2 °C in Braemar in Aberdeenshire in 1895 and 1982 and in Altnaharra in the Highlands.

Weather Forecasts for Major Cities in the UK

London

The capital London has some of the best weather in the UK with warmer, drier summers than most parts of the country.

LONDON WEATHER

Bristol

Bristol on the south western side of England is wetter than the south east.

BRISTOL WEATHER

Liverpool

Liverpool in the north west has a reputation along with near neighbour Manchester for its many rainy days. The average number of rainy days in Manchester is around 140 days a year calculated over a 30 year period.

LIVERPOOL WEATHER

Manchester

The city has a reputation for wet weather, though that is not always the case. There are plenty of good pubs, museums and libraries to escape to if it is raining.

MANCHESTER WEATHER

Newcastle

Newcastle in the north east has cooler temperatures than the south of the country but is generally drier than more western areas.

NEWCASTLE WEATHER

Glasgow

Glasgow on the River Clyde in the southwest of Scotland escapes the bitter winters experienced in the Highlands but has higher annual precipitation compared with Edinburgh to the east.

GLASGOW WEATHER