Weather and Climate

At first, I would like to know if you know what the difference between
weather and climate is. Weather reflects short-term conditions of the
atmosphere, while climate is the average daily weather for an extended
period of time at a certain location.
Generally, Britain has a mild climate but the weather tends to change
every day. This is because the British Isles receives different air masses.
One of the most important winds are the ones which comes from the
south west, which bring war waters from the Gulf of Mxico.
There are few extremes in temperature which rarely goes above 32C or
below 10C.
In summer Southern Britain is warmer than Northern Britain because of
it latitude. But in winter the North Atlantic Drift keeps the west milder
than the east. In consequence Wales have the most moderate climate
and Eastern England the most extreme.
We can divide the British climate in four parts (as we show in this map).
There are others factors that make climate vary such as: pollution and
altitude.
Annual precipitations also vary throughout Britain. Its can go from 1600
mm in the mountainous areas of the west and north to less than 800
mm over central and eastern parts.

National production
Since 1973 the UK is a member of the European Community. This has
had a big impact on Britains trade.
The proportion of Britains exports going to other countries of the EU has
risen to 50%, while that going to other Commonwealth countries has
fallen to 10%.
During 1970s and 1980s has been a decline in heavy industries and a
growth of oil and gas industries.
Tourism is now one of Britains most important industries and source of
employment.

In certain regions, older industries such as coal and steel have declined.
As a result unemployment is far higher in Scotland and Wales.
The government has provided various incentives to encourage industrial
development in assisted areas.
Notes
Latitude: an imaginary line (circle) around a planet running parallel to
the planet Equator.
Forecast: to estimate how climate will be in the future.
European Union: a supranational organization created in the 50s to
bring the nations of Europe into closer economical and political
connections.
Commonwealth of Nations: the Commonwealth is a name for countries
which were part of the British Empire before they became independent.
This group of states works together on many important matters, like
business, health and fight against poverty. They are 53 countries.
The truth about British weather
Rain, rain, rain. As Britain entered on 199 days of every year. That is just 4
sudden days a week, it just doesn't seem fair.
So, I have come to the Lake District to find out why the great British weather is
among the wettest in Europe.
This is the point to understand our weather. We are nearly a 1000 meters in
one of Britain's sunniest regions. Over there is the Irish Sea, and beyond, the
Atlantic Ocean and that is where all our rain comes from.
Incredibly, much of the rain which ruins our summer began life four thousand
miles away in the Atlantic. Moisture from the ocean, which in terms forms
weather systems, will spring rain to the UK. Clouds travel thousands of miles
across the ocean, and it hit our hills. And as the air is forced up, it goes down
forming clouds. Clouds are born when invisible water from the atmosphere
condenses into tiny droplets, which then falls to the earth as rain. And is this
rain that forms this mountain streams, which then feeds the glorious lakes.
The ancient Greeks had a theory that all yours rivers and lakes were fed by fast
underground seas. When you see all this water (uh!, that's fresh)you can't
really blame them. But, in truth, every drop of our fresh water comes from the
oceans. Is set up into the atmosphere, and then it is form into clouds and it

returns to earth in the form of rain. Millions up on millions of tons of it, it's an
never ending cycle.
Each one of this tubes; show us how much rain falls on a particular square into
certain part of Britain in an average year. Starting with London. That's 21. This
is Glasgow, is a little bit more. But this is the wettest city in the UK, guess
which one It is. In fact Swansea. But it is all pretty pathetic comparing with the
Lake District. Which has a whopping of 79 inches a year. Remember that is per
square inch. So, if you multiply that by the area of the Lake District, Swansea,
Glasgow and London...basically it is a lot of rain.
Just a few miles from the sea, and made up of high peak and deep valleys, the
Lake District doesn't stand a chance. While you almost guarantee the soak the
Lake District, it rains here on average 211 days a year. Over all the cliffs of
Scafell Pike, the highest pike in England, is a little village which is the wettest
inhabited place. Cumbria is home of the Pratt family. Inhabitant of the
Raingauge Cottage, probably, the wettest house in England. When did you find
out that you lived in the wettest part of England?. We always known, but I was
reading a text when I was bored and it said the hottest and the wettest place,
and I said, that's me! I felt really proud of myself. What was the worst period
that you had?. Probably the floods in 2009, I think. Everyone in Cumbria
remember the floods in 2009.
I just remember being raining for 14 hour and not stopping. For three days
heavy rain fell in already saturated ground causing many of the country rivers
break through the flood defenses. We managed to get out of the house, but the
route was flooded. In Cockermouth, just 35 miles north, water levels in the
town reached 2,5 meters. As emergency services struggled to rescue 500
people Barker tragically lost his life.

Answers to exercise
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)

From the Atlantic Ocean

The lakes
The ancient Greeks
Swansea
207 days a year
2009
2,5 meters
In the lakes