One of the most important influences on the British climate is the Atlantic Ocean and especially the North Atlantic current which brings warm waters from the Gulf of Mexico to the United Kingdom by means of the global conveyor.

This has a powerful moderating and warming effect on the UK climate. The North Atlantic Drift warms the climate of the UK to such a great extent that temperatures in winter would be about 10 °C lower than they are today if it didn't exist and means that England can have vineyards at the same latitude where Canada has polar bears.

These warm ocean currents bring substantial amounts of humidity with them and contributes strongly to the notoriously wet climate the UK experiences.

Depressions are another major product of the Atlantic Ocean and roll in towards the UK throughout the year and are especially intense and frequent in autumn and winter. These depressions can be very severe and often bring in heavy rain and strong winds.

< Previous page    Next page >

Page 1 - Introduction / Overview
Page 2 - Seasons
Page 3 - Regions
Page 4 - Sunshine & Clouds
Page 5 - The Atlantic Ocean (Current page)
Page 6 - Winds
Page 7 - Rainfall
Page 8 - Temperature
Page 9 - Severe weather
Page 10 - Climate history

• Back to 'Countryside'.