Characteristics of the UK climate (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Geography B): Revision Note

Specification links

The notes on this page cover part of 2.3.1 of the WJEC Eduqas B specification.

2.3.1 Why is the UK climate so variable?

• The characteristics of the UK climate, including regional variations.

• Coverage must include

  • seasonality,

  • average monthly temperature and

  • precipitation rates.

• The influence of global atmospheric circulation, latitude, altitude, air pressure, and distance from the sea.

The UK's climate

• The UK has a temperate, maritime climate

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

• The UK has four distinct regions:

  • The southeast has cold winters and warm and dry summers

  • The southwest has mild and very wet winters and warm and wet summers

  • The northwest has mild winters, cool summers and heavy rain all year

  • The northeast has cold winters, cool summers and steady rain all year

• Seasonality

  • The UK has four distinct seasons

    • Spring

    • Summer

    • Autumn

    • Winter

• Average monthly temperature

  • The UK's average monthly temperatures vary from highs in July and August (around 22° C) to lows in January and February (around 7° C)

  • Other monthly average high temperatures include 19° C in September, 15° C in October, 17° C in May, and 13° C in April

  • These are very broad UK averages

  • Generally, the southern and eastern regions of England are warmer than northern England

• Precipitation rates

  • On average, the UK receives 99 mm of precipitation in January and less in summer

  • June and May average 52 mm, and July and August can be even lower, 29-36 mm in some areas

  • These figures are averages and vary across the UK

    • For example, some areas in the north and west receive more rain than the south and east, and this difference can be more evident in the summer months

• Climate change

  • Recent data shows a trend of increasing rainfall, especially in autumn and winter, with 2024 being one of the wettest years on record

Reasons for variability of the UK climate

• The factors that affect regional variations across the UK  include

  • Location:

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

    • 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 the 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 

  • North Atlantic Drift

    • Ocean currents bring 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 UK

  • 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

  • Global atmospheric circulation

    • Due to the Earth's rotation, weather systems usually pass over the UK from west to east

    • The polar jet stream constantly changes position

    • The jet stream tracks north and south through the year

    • If the jet stream flows to the north of the UK, it will bring tropical air masses

    • If it tracks south, then cold polar air masses are more likely

  • Air Masses

    • Air masses bring different weather depending on which air mass is travelling across the UK

    • Controlled by the polar jet stream, they are classified by the region where they form

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

Air masses of the UK

• Air pressure

  • High pressure produces sinking air, which heats and holds more water vapour

    • This brings in stable air, with little to no rainfall

    • Skies are often clear with warm conditions in summer and cold conditions in winter

  • Low pressure produces rising air, which cools and condenses to form water droplets that fall as precipitation

    • As low-pressure systems come off the Atlantic Ocean from west to east, it is the west that experiences the greatest rainfall

• Where air masses meet, frontal rainfall is common

Altitude

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

• Mountainous regions get a lot of relief rainfall

• There is more rainfall over the western upland regions than in the lower areas in the east

The UK's regional climate variations