The geography, customs, agriculture, industry, and people of the southwestern United Kingdom

The geography and climate of the United Kingdom

Geographical environment

The whole territory consists of most of the islands of the British Isles near the northwest coast of the European continent, separated by the North Sea and many islands. Fare Strait and the English Channel face the European continent and it is an island country.

The United Kingdom is located between 50 and 60 degrees north latitude, which is further north than my country's Heilongjiang Province, but the climate is much milder. It can be said that there is no severe cold in winter and no severe heat in summer. This mild climate is primarily due to the tropical Gulf Stream. This warm current is hundreds of kilometers wide. It flows mightily to the northwest coast of Europe and is renamed the Atlantic Warm Current, bringing a mild and humid maritime climate to the UK. Taking London as an example, rivers and lakes rarely freeze in winter, and the average temperature in January is above 4 degrees Celsius; while summer is quite cool, with the average temperature in July being only 17 degrees, so you often need to wear a sweater in the morning and evening. Just fine. The annual rainfall is about 600 mm, which is not too much, but the distribution is relatively even. Nationally, the average temperature is about 4 to 7 degrees in January and 13 to 17 degrees in July. The annual rainfall in the mountainous areas in the northwest exceeds 1,000 mm, while in the southeast it is between 600 and 700 mm. The fog in the UK is relatively heavy. On sunny days in summer, there is still a thin layer of haze. In winter, there is often mist, which looks like rain but not rain. If there is smoke, it is not smoke. This is mainly caused by the moisture in the island country. As for the thick fog that was common in London in the past, it was not entirely a natural phenomenon. Due to the emphasis on environmental protection, the occurrence of dense fog there has been greatly reduced.

This island nation has a mild but changeable weather. The British often say: "There is climate abroad, but there is only weather in the UK" to show that the weather here is unpredictable. Indeed, it is not uncommon for weather to change from sunny to cloudy to rainy within a day. This kind of weather makes people extra cautious. Seeing an Englishman wearing a raincoat and carrying an umbrella when going out on a sunny morning may make foreigners feel ridiculous, but it won't be long before he feels "ridiculous" for himself. And regret. The changeable weather also provides a constant source of conversation, and even the most taciturn people in Britain enjoy talking about the weather.

Affected by the high latitude, the change in the length of day and night in the UK is particularly obvious. In winter, the days are short and the nights are long. Before 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the sky is already dark. In summer, it is just the opposite. The days are long and the nights are short, and it starts to get dark after 10 o'clock in the evening. Generally speaking, summer is the best time to visit the UK. In summer, the days are long, there is more time for activities, the temperature is moderate, the weather is refreshing, and people feel full of energy. Although there is rain during this season, it generally does not occur continuously and affects the itinerary.

In general, the weather characteristics of the main areas of the UK are as follows:

Northern England: cooler than the south

Northeast England: the coldest region< /p>

Southern England: the area with the best climate

Southeast England: high temperatures in summer, low temperatures in winter, large temperature differences

Eastern England: less rainfall Region

West of England: the area with the most rainfall

Time difference: There is an 8-hour difference between Beijing and the UK's Greenwich Mean Time, which means that Beijing is 8 hours ahead of the UK. For example, GMT in the UK is zero o'clock, while in Beijing it is 8 o'clock in the morning.