Geography and Climate
Live in the United Kingdom and enjoy the land of poets and kings. You can live in the United Kingdom and be a short trip away from an incredible variety of geography, climates, cultures and lifestyles. The U.K. spreads north from England to Wales and Scotland on the island of Great Britain and reaches across the Irish Sea to also include Northern Ireland, the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland. Just 21 miles across the English Channel from France at its narrowest point, the United Kingdom is slightly smaller than the state of Oregon. It is bounded on the north by the North Sea and is anchored in the North Atlantic Ocean.
England occupies more than half of the total land area and is mostly lowland terrain rising to the Cumbrian Mountains in the Lake District of northwest England, which are crowned by 3,209 feet Scafell Pike. The Thames, Avon, Tweed, Mersey and other major rivers help tie England together.
Scotland is just under one-third of the U.K.’s total land area and includes nearly 800 islands. The Highland Boundary Fault separates the Highlands region to the north and west and the Lowlands to the south and east of Scotland. Ben Nevis is the highest peak in Scotland and the British Isles at 4,406 feet. Most of Scotland’s population is clustered in the area between the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth, including the capital city Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Wales is just one-tenth of the United Kingdom’s total area and is mostly mountainous, particularly in the center and north. Snowdon is the highest peak in Wales, rising to 3,560 feet. Less mountainous South Wales is home to Cardiff, the capital and largest city.
Northern Ireland is just over 5 percent of the United Kingdom’s total area. Occupying the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland, the terrain is mostly hilly and topped by 2,795 feet Sileve Donard in the Mourne Mountains. Lough Neagh is the largest lake in the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom is in the Western European time zone and is five hours ahead of the U.S. Eastern time zone. During the summer months, British Summer Time is observed throughout the U.K. Founded on islands, the U.K. has plenty of year-round rainfall and a temperate climate thanks to the warmer waters of the North Atlantic Drift, an extension of the Gulf Stream. Without the moderating influence of this warmer stream of water, winter temperatures would be much cooler. The North Atlantic Drift has its main influence on western coastal areas, producing quite mild winters. The U.K. has four distinct seasons, ranging from lows around 12 F to highs above 95 F with rainfall throughout the year. Summers are warmest in the southeast of England and coolest in the north of Scotland. Heavy snowfall is found primarily in higher elevations during the winter and early spring. Sheltered from winds, eastern shores are generally the driest.
With many rivers and ample year-round rainfall, floods historically have caused major property damage and loss of life throughout the U.K. England, specifically between the London and Birmingham regions, experiences tornadoes. During both 2005 and 2006 tornadoes caused millions in damages, but no casualties were reported.
No Comments