If there is one thing that is absolutely guaranteed to get British people talking, it is the weather. They are famed for it, which is not surprising, as the tendency towards precipitation and substandard temperatures does have quite an effect on so many of the traditional activities. During the holiday camp boom just after the second world war, one of the most heard phrases was "If wet, in the ballroom!", as organizers were quick to provide an alternative venue for the fun events on which their livelihood depended.
Although no part of the British Isles is blessed with a warm tropical climate, there are variations which can have a significant effect. The size of the islands themselves, and the strength of the winds and wave currents around them, mean great unpredictability from day to day. Despite this, over the course of a year they are actually a stabilising influence, preventing the real extremes of either heat or cold from causing discomfort and danger.
As a general rule, the southern parts of the country are warmer than the northern, which is what you would expect. This difference is not nearly as great as with some much larger countries, with the average difference only four degrees from London to the North of Scotland. In summer, the difference is almost exactly north to south, but in winter this changes. Due to the effect of the Gulf Stream, in winter the warmth map shifts to an east/west divide, with the least cold place being Cornwall in the far South West of England.
The North East of England and the Eastern half of Scotland are much cooler, with some parts of East Anglia (England) actually having lower average temperatures than North West Scotland. If the East suffers colder temperatures, it is compensated by having much drier weather all year round. As any cricket fan, and they will tell you that the counties in the West have a pronounced disadvantage over the rest of the country, as they will lose far more play to the weather than the Eastern and Southern counties.
The precipitation map shows a pronounced variation, with the average rainfall for the wettest areas, all of which are in the Western half of the country, being three times the average for the driest areas of Essex and Suffolk. This is the only disadvantage which Devon and Cornwall have, as they have amongst the highest temperatures in both summer and winter. By far the largest area of high rainfall is in Western Scotland, caused by the same water currents which keep the Western half of the country free of the extreme cold which can bring severe weather to Aberdeen and the East. Deciding whereabouts to live in Britain is often a matter of trade off. You need to decide which aspect is more important, mild temperatures or dry weather.
