Climate of the United Kingdom
A photo of the mountains of Scotland near
Ben Nevis in the winter
The climate of the United Kingdom is
classified as a mid-latitude oceanic climate
(Koppen climate classification Cfb and in the
Scottish Highlands Cfc), with warm sum-
mers, cool winters and plentiful precipitation
throughout the year. The principal factors
that influence the country’s climate include
its northerly latitude (which ranges from 50°
to 60° N), the close proximity to the Atlantic
Ocean, and the warming of the surrounding
waters by the Gulf Stream. The weather can
be notoriously changeable from one day to
the
next
but
temperature
variations
throughout the year are relatively small.
The boundary of convergence between the
warm tropical air and the cold polar air lies
over the United Kingdom. In this area, the
large temperature variation creates instabil-
ity and this is a major factor that influences
the notoriously changeable and often un-
settled weather the country experiences,
where many types of weather can be experi-
enced in a single day.
Regional climates in the United Kingdom
are influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and lat-
itude. Northern Ireland, Wales and western
parts of England and Scotland, being closest
to the Atlantic, are generally the mildest,
wettest and windiest regions of the UK, and
temperature ranges here are seldom ex-
treme. Eastern areas are drier, cooler, less
windy and also experience the greatest daily
and seasonal temperature variations. North-
ern areas are generally cooler, wetter and
have a smaller temperature range than
southern areas. Though the UK is mostly un-
der the influence of the maritime tropical air
mass from the south-west, different regions
are more susceptible than others when differ-
ent air masses affect the country: Northern
Ireland and the west of Scotland are the most
exposed to the maritime polar air mass which
brings cool moist air; the east of Scotland
and north-east England are more exposed to
the continental polar air mass which brings
cold dry air; the