Musings on weather

I've been looking up Thailand weather somewhat obsessively and have been somewhat frustrated by the fact that no-one seems to be able to agree when exactly the wet season is and how much of an effect it will have.

It made me think about the sort of weather expectations a visitor to the UK might have. A guidebook entry might read something like this:

Weather in the UK is divided into roughly four seasons, winter from December to February, spring from March to May, summer from June to August and autumn from September to November, although these dates change widely from year to year and are a subject of dispute.

August tends to be the hottest part of the year, with temperatures reaching usually up to the late 20s. However temperatures as high as 38 have been recorded. Sunshine generally only lasts for a few days at a time, at which point all overweight, middle-aged men start wandering around topless with their guts hanging out and ice cream vans appear on street corners. Many public buildings have no or inadequate air-conditioning and are ill-equipped to deal with the heat.

Spring and autumn tend to be mild but often suffer from heavy downpours, oppressive cloud cover and sometimes quite strong wind. Winter can get pretty cold but apart from in the north, snow is fairly infrequent although families cling on to the illusion of a "white Christmas". When it does snow, you can rest assured that trains will run irregularly, motorways and thoroughfares become clogged and accidents are frequent.

The weather in Britain is most distinctive in it's changeability - a day which starts with a steady downpour can end in sunshine and random rainstorms can be expected at any time of the year. You will be lucky indeed if your trip does not involve at least one day of solid rain and cloud, particularly if you decide to visit Wales. It is advisable to bring an umbrella whenever your trip is.

People in the UK like to talk about the weather and it is an accepted way to start a conversation with a complete stranger. Expect people who are complaining that the sun never shines to moan that it's too hot the following week.

I should point out this is all meant to be light-hearted and I do not intend to insult any particular area or group. I've never been on a trip to Wales when it hasn't rained, mind you.

Anyway, there may be some pictures up later (un-weather related). But there might not.

More on that story later.

Tags: weather, moaning, national obsession