Thinking about taking a vacation in the UK? Hoping to be able to discover the best time of year to experience good weather? Well good luck, you will need it. Of course it does depend on where in the UK you are planning to visit, but,achieving good weather is never easy. Let me give you a general run down of the seasons first.
Winter.
Winter begins in November, give or take a few weeks. Gone are the annual snowfalls of the past. These days you may see some snow but it might not be during the winter months. Be it global warming, the greenhouse effect or just one of those things seasons in the UK seem to have shifted somewhat. Winter weather once upon a time was foggy, frosty and cold. These days the weather may be like this occasionally but not as a matter of course.
Spring.
By late January the nights are becoming a little lighter but the weather now may be at its most severe. in 2009 we seemed to jump from Winter to Spring with no transition period. This was because our winter was harsher than of recent years and extended. Still Spring could be a great time to visit the UK. Spring days can be cold but are often bright and sunny. With cities such as York having masses of bright yellow daffodils everywhere you look Spring is a lovely time to visit.
Summer
Obviously if you are looking for hot dry weather summer would be the season to choose. Well maybe. Summer officially starts in June but sometimes the best weather may be in late April and early May. However the long Summer days of June were traditionally good holiday weeks. In the last few years however April’s rain has not arrived until June and so wet weather has been the order of the day. It may be warm, with daylight at its peak but it could be very wet. Flooding has happened in June in recent years.
Autumn.
By late August autumn is setting in. This year, 2009, was typical of British weather in that we had an Indian Summer. September was dry and warm and seemed to extend the summer period right into early October. The problem though is that it is dark quite early in the evening but for those who like warm weather, rather than hot this time of year could be perfect. With the added beauty of Autumn changes the scenery looks good also.
So when should I visit?, I hear you ask.
Decide where you want to visit first. The south of England, especially areas such as the south east around Brighton and Hastings enjoys a good climate. It is often so much warmer and drier than the North of England. Cornwall also enjoys lovely warm weather but it has more rain usually than the south east.
Areas of the UK such as the Lake District and Wales may have more than their fair share of rain, even in the height of Summer. However, these places are not really visited for the weather. If you want stunning scenery the Lakes will suit and if you want added historical sites, Wales may fit the bill.
In conclusion.
The UK has a temperate climate which should mean that you never experience extreme weather. Of course no-one can say never, though. We do experience the occasional heat wave or torrential rain storm.
On the whole though we have changeable weather. It can feel like the middle of Summer in April with one day of exceptional heat and sunshine or it can feel like winter in July with a Hailstorm, thunder and lightening.
If you really want to visit the UK there is so much more than the weather to enjoy. If however you want a beach holiday, with two weeks of glorious sunny weather guaranteed, then the UK is not really for you.
