climate
The British climate is moderated by the Atlantic Gulf Stream,and is much milder than that of many places in the same latitude.The climate of Great Britain is generally equable.Winters are especially mild on southwestern coasts,where severe frosts are rare.The seasonal variations in temperature increase eastward.Winter mean temperatures exceed 4 ℃ in the west but are lower in the east.The July mean,on the other hand,is about 18℃ in the southeast of England but falls to 13℃ in northern Scotland.Since the prevailing winds are southwesterly,the Atlantic air streams often bring cloudiness and humidity,and the frequent passage of fronts and depressions ensures very changeable day-to-day conditions.Temperatures fall surprisingly rapidly with increased altitude.
Rainfall occurs throughout the year,there being no marked dry season.In the highland west it may exceed 254 cm per year,but in the eastern lowlands it is only 64 to 76 cm.Sunshine hours in Britain are fewer than in more southerly climates ------ averaging between 3 and 4 hours a day and between 4 and 6 from June to August.On high ground,winters are more severe and snow may lie fro 30 days on the Pennines and as long as 50 days in the Scottish Highlands.
All over the world Britain is notorious for its fogs.The ordinary damp mists which afflict all parts of the country from time to time are no worse than similar mists in many other countries.The smoke-fogs of the big towns,which used to develop in winter time whenever there was not enough wind to blow the smoke away,were horrible,unhealthy and dangerous to movement.Much of the smoke-fog was caused by the burning of coal in fireplaces in private houses,though smoke from factories contributes a great deal to the trouble.A Clean Air Act was passed by Parliament in 1956,giving local councils power to control smoke in designated areas; the effects of this excellent plan have been very noticeable.The really bad smoke-fogs have passed into the realm of myth,and the visibility during the foggy day is much better than before in Britain.
