nice weather for ducks Caroline Smith

Caroline Smith

England is known for its rain (it’s said that most people in England talk about the weather five times a day). The weather sparks curiosity, because we have unique weather due to the Gulf Stream and other factors.

England’s rain can range from a light drizzle to a steady downpour. But it’s true that rain is a constant companion throughout the year. It even rains frequently in ‘dry counties’ like Suffolk, but more frequently in the north west, in areas like the Lake District.

England’s rainy reputation is not by chance. It’s shaped by our unique geographical location and climate. England sits in the path of moist air, carried by the Atlantic Ocean. These air currents (called westerlies) bring frequent rainclouds, and in areas like the Lake District and the Pennines (the ‘backbone of England’), air is forced up which cools it, and causes rain to fall. Uplifted air hits the west of England more, which is why Manchester and Cornwall get more rain than London or Norwich!

rain Christina Carpenter

Christina Carpenter

Although rain occurs all year in England, it rains more in autumn and winter, as cooler temperatures trap moisture in the clouds for longer. We don’t have ‘dry summers’, but we do get lighter and shorter showers. In spring, sunshine and rain often occur on the same day (in southern counties, it’s usual to have a downpour, and dry pavements by lunchtime!)

Where are England’s Rainiest Places?

lake Holly Astle

Holly Astle

Without a doubt, the northwest and southwest of England. The mountainous areas like the Lake District and Pennines get more rain than Manchester. Though higher levation areas in Devon (Dartmoor, Exmoor and Bodmin Moor) are almost as rainy.

Rainbows form when sunlight hits raindrops and reflect light, splitting into colours (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet). You can only see rainbows when the sun is behind you (and rain in front of you).

A Book to Learn More on England’s Rainy Days

188 words for rain

188 Words for Rain takes us on a delightfully damp tour of the British Isles. England and surrounding islands have so much drizzly weather, that there are hundreds of words for the rain. From a ‘light smirr’ in Aberdeen to ‘it’s raining knives and forks’ in the Brecon Beacons.

Write and puddle-splasher alan Connor digs deep into the meaning and quirky histories of words for rain. He gets caught in a ‘plash’ in Northumberland, and ponders why people picnic-in-the-car when it’s raining. In this charming and witty celebration of our national obsession.

Like many of rain words, kelsher is not said only in the west country. It’s used in Lancashire, and by earth scientists and minerologists, and always means the same thing. Heavy and brought on by strong wind.

Petrichor is the name that two Australian scientists came up with, when they saw that the English language lacked a word for the aromas released, when rain hits soil, catches its scent and bounces it into the winds.

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