Climate of the UK (Edexcel GCSE Geography A): Revision Note

Changes in the UK Climate

• The climate of the UK over the last 1,000 years has fluctuated between cold and warm

• During the Medieval Warm Period, the UK was warmer than it is now

  • Winters and summers were around 5°C higher than today

  • There was little ice in the northern seas, allowing Vikings to land in northern England

  • England was warm enough to support vineyards

  • There were higher crop yields and a growing population

  • This was due to increased solar radiation

Average UK temperature changes

• From 1315 CE, rainfall was 60% higher than now

  • Livestock drowned

  • Crops rotted in the fields

  • Pigs were unaffected but were soon killed as a main food supply

  • Thousands of people died of starvation and disease

  • Extreme weather events—weeks of rain, storms and long drought periods—became normal for the UK until 1600s

• During the Little Ice Age, temperatures were low enough for:

  • Frost fairs on the Thames river

  • Valley glaciers grew in size

  • Arctic sea ice increases and stops sailing between Europe and the UK

  • Crops failed and animals died

  • Average temperatures decreased by 2°C

  • There were cold winters and freezing coastal seas

  • Caused by increased volcanic activity and decreased solar radiation

• From 1700s onward, winters remained bitterly cold, with fluctuating weather events during the summer

• The Thames froze over for the last time in 1895, in line with the start of the UK's industrial revolution

• The increased burning of fossil fuels has led to the UK's climate consistently warming

Variations in Temperature, Location, Prevailing Wind & Rainfall

• The UK has what is called a temperate, wet climate

• It has a mild, seasonal climate with cool, wet winters and warm, wet summers

• Factors that affect the UK weather include

  • Location:

    • The UK's location is mid-latitude, which is between 50° N and 60° N

    • The country sits on the boundary between the northern Polar and Ferrel atmospheric cells

    • Cold air descends from the north and meets warm air rising from the south 

    • This causes unsettled weather

  • Maritime influence:

    • The UK is surrounded by sea

    • The air picks up moisture before reaching the country

    • Leading to rainfall year-round

    • Coastal areas are warmer in winter and cooler in summer 

    • Seas take up the heat in the summer, cooling the surrounding land

    • During the winter, the heat is released, keeping the coastal land warmer

  • North Atlantic Drift:

    • Ocean currents bringing warm waters from the Caribbean to the west coast of the UK

    • This keeps the west coast of the UK warmer than other regions of the country.

  • Prevailing wind:

    • The main direction the wind travels for the UK is south-west

    • This air comes across the Atlantic Ocean, bringing moisture and more rain

  • Air masses:

    • Large volumes of air with similar water content and temperatures

    • Classified by the region where they form:

• Where air masses meet, frontal rainfall is common

Frontal rainfall

Frontal rainfall occurs when warm and cold air masses meet and the warm air rises over the cold air

• There are five types of air masses that bring different weather to the UK:

Air Masses of the UK

• There are regional variations within the UK 

• The higher an area, the wetter and cooler it is

• Mountainous regions get a lot of relief rainfall

Relief rainfall

Relief rainfall occurs when warm, moist air is forced to rise over high ground

The UK's regional climate variations