2. Introduction
• Why is the weather a favorite topic of discussion in
Britain?
• In general the people from Britain have warm summers
and cool winter. Summers are cooler than those on the
continent, but the winters are milder.
• The overall climate in England is called temperate
maritime. This means that it is mild with temperatures
not much lower than 0ºC in winter and not much higher
than 32ºC in summer. It also means that it is damp and is
subject to frequent changes.
Mirea Roxana
Liceul Teoretic “George Calinescu” Constanta
3. Warmest and Coldest Months in
England
• July and August are normally the warmest
month in England.
• Around the coasts, February is normally the
coldest month, but inland there is little to
choose between January and February as the
coldest month.
• Probably the best months to travel in England
are May, June, September and October. These
months generally have the most pleasant
temperatures and less rain. July and August
are the warmest months, but they are also the
wettest. The sunniest parts of the Britain are
along the south coast of England.
4. Rainfall
• Rain is fairly well distributed throughout the
year, with late winter/spring (February to
March) the driest period, and autumn/winter
(October to January) the wettest.
• The Lake District is England's wettest region,
receiving and average of 130 inches (330
centimeters) of precipitation each year. The
western and northern hills receive about 40
inches (102 centimeters) of rain, while the
east coast receives about 20 inches (51
centimeters).
5. Read the two definitions and decide which
refers to climate and which refers to weather.
A. The average state of the
meteorological elements for a
small area (town/city) over a short
period of time (couple of days,
weeks)
B. The average state of the
meteorological elements for a
large area (countries, continents)
over a number of years.
6. Factors affecting climate
• Latitude - places further away from the Equator receive less
energy from the sun. Therefore the higher the latitude (the
nearer the North Pole or South Pole), the colder it is likely to
be.
• Maritime effect - the sea takes longer to heat up in summer
so the sea is colder than the land. In the winter it takes longer
for the sea to cool down, so the sea is warmer than the land.
• Altitude - the greater the altitude, the colder, windier and
wetter it is likely to be.
• Ocean currents - warm ocean currents like the North Atlantic
Drift warm up coastal locations, even in high latitudes.
• Air masses - large uniform bodies of air which bring the
weather of the place from which they come to Britain. Some
winds like the westerly winds in the northern hemisphere are
called “prevailing winds”.
7. Britain is affected by the following air
masses:
• Polar maritime
• Polar continental
• Tropical maritime
• Tropical continental
• Prevailing westerly winds
8. Choose the correct answer:
• Britain’s climate is:
a) Temperate continental
b) Subtropical
c) Temperate maritime
