People across the UK love to talk about the weather so knowing a little bit about the different weather to expect at different times of year could be helpful. This could help when visiting the UK but also if you are doing business with someone in the UK and you have an understanding of the season and weather.
Summer always means hot weather right? Well not exactly. In the UK the weather is certainly warmer than at any other time of year but there is a strong part of British culture that expects rain. A typically British summer would involve a number of days of rain and this has an effect on holidays, outdoor celebrations like weddings and much more. There is a lot of British humour based around the “great British Summer” often being wet and not as hot as everyone wants. The sun doesn’t set until late in the evenings during the summer as it does in many places and long evenings are something the British enjoy; a great time to head to the pub! Summer is a very green season with all of the trees covered in fresh leaves, long grasses are everywhere and lots of birds and insects are visible.
Autumn is a time for change. The leaves on the trees go brown and fall off, this create large piles of leaves children love to play in. The evenings get shorter very quickly and it is often windy and it rains a lot more. Autumn is a time for storms and it is the season the UK sees the most unsettled weather. Coats are put on for the first time since before the summer and the British will chat a lot about the summer and if it was good or bad.
Winter in the UK can be varied but it is always very wet. Rain fall is expected a lot but there are also some very bright and cold days in the later parts of winter. In some areas to the North snow is very common but in the South and South West it is rare. Because of this when it does snow the UK basically stops. The roads are blocked and many people take a day off work. In mid-winter it gets dark around 16:00 even in the south. As is always the case, the British people love to discuss the winter and how cold or wet it is compared to last year.
Spring is a beautiful season, it is another period of change where the sun seems to come back after the winter. It is still very cold by UK standards but it is a very happy time as people look ahead to the summer. Daffodils are a popular yellow flower that symbolises spring for many people as it grows annually at this time. Bluebells are another spring flower that covers woodland areas in a stunning blue blanket.
Whatever, the season a discussion about the weather will always be well received by someone in the UK but do not be put off if they sound unhappy about it; this is part of the culture and is a humorous discussion.