Climate, holidays and events - University of Staffordshire

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The UK climate is notorious for being dull, cold and rainy but it is actually very warm compared to what it could be. The Gulf Stream helps keep the British Isles warmer than other countries located at a similar latitude in the winter with daily winter temperatures in England rarely dipping below 0° C (32° F) and more commonly sitting between 1° and 6°C (34°-43° F). Of course, our summers are also fairly mild with average summer temperatures between 11° and 20° C (53°-69° F)

Two people standing underneath umbrellas featuring a Union Jack print looking out to the Palace of Westminster

British weather

While the temperatures are generally comfortable, we do sometimes have cold fronts or heat waves that take us by surprise and the polar front jet stream can make British weather especially difficult to predict.

You might also be surprised to know that contrary to what you see in some films, it does not snow very often in most parts of England. Every year we can expect some snow, which may affect transport and allow you to have a snowball fight or build a snowman, but as the temperatures are normally above 0°C (32°F) the snow does not normally last very long.

One thing that we do have more of than some other countries is hail. This is when little balls of ice fall from the sky, sometimes accompanied by a thunderstorm. Hail storms come and go very quickly and are normally a surprise to everyone.

Seasons and events

Spring

Spring is from March to May. Spring is normally cool and gets gradually warmer and sunnier as the weeks pass. In March and April, you can expect a lot of rain with the weather getting sunnier as the days get longer. Any gardeners will appreciate the beautiful spring flowers as they start to bloom.

If you are going out walking in Spring, make sure to be prepared for rain with layers you can remove in case it gets warm.

Events

1st March – St David’s Day (Wales): A celebration day in Wales in honour of Dewi Sant (Saint David)
Mother's Day or Mothering Sunday - a day to honour mothers and other mother figures, such as grandmothers, stepmothers and mothers-in-law.
17th March – St Patrick’s Day: observance of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. What began as a religious feast day in the 17th century has evolved into celebrating Irish culture.
1st April - April Fools’ Day: (sometimes called All Fools' Day) is celebrated by playing practical jokes and hoaxes. The jokes and their victims are called April fools. You must play your prank before 12 noon otherwise it is you that becomes the fool!
23rd April – St George’s Day: remembers St George, England's patron saint.
March or April – Easter: celebrated in Christian countries to mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are a few days which are celebrated throughout the Easter period. These include Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Good Friday is a bank holiday in the UK, and even for those who are not religious, a chocolate Easter egg is usually a traditional gift to give friends and family. You will also hear people reference Easter Monday which is a bank holiday on the day after Easter Sunday.
Eid Al-Fitr: an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.
1st May –May Day: is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival. It’s also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures. http://projectbritain.com/mayday.htm
Well Dressing Festivals (also once known as well flowering): a summer custom practised in rural England in which wells, springsor other water sources are decorated with designs created from flower petals.

Summer

Summer lasts from June to August and is normally the warmest and sunniest season. That being said, while there are normally several days above 27°C (81°F) every summer, we never know how many we will get or whether they will come in June or August. For this reason, Brits celebrate a warm day whenever possible by going to the beach or sitting outdoors at the pub. You will notice, however, that most Brits are not comfortable in weather above 21°C and might complain about the heat. Because it doesn't get very hot very often, most buildings do not have air-conditioning or "aircon" so it can get very warm and humid if you need to be inside on a hot day.

Another thing to note about British summer is that the days are very long. In the height of summer, it will still be light at 9 or even 10pm so it's perfect for sitting outside and having a chat with friends.

Events

Father’s Day: is held on the third Sunday of June in the United Kingdom. It’s a day to honour fathers and father figures, such as grandfathers and fathers-in-law.
21st June –Summer Solstice: this is the longest day of the year
Throughout June: The Championships, Wimbledon: commonly known as Wimbledon, it’s the oldest tennis tournament in the world, and widely considered the most prestigious. It’s been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London, since 1877 and is played on outdoor grass courts.
June: Glastonbury Festival: a five-day festival of music and performing arts that takes place near Pilton, Somerset. In addition to music, the festival hosts dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret, and other arts.
August: Eisteddfod: an artistic event in Wales and one of Europe's largest and oldest cultural festivals of music, song and poetry.
August: Edinburgh Fringe Festival: the world's largest arts festival which takes place annually in Edinburgh, Scotland's capital, in the month of August.
August bank holiday: Manchester Pride: annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) festival, traditionally held over the August Bank Holiday weekend in Manchester city centre.
August bank holiday: Notting Hill Carnival: an annual event each August, over two days (August bank holiday Monday and the preceding Sunday) that has taken place since 1966 on the streets of Notting Hill, and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England.

Autumn

Autumn in the UK lasts from September to November and it is the time days start to get shorter and cooler. Autumn can be very unpredictable with some October days feeling like the middle of summer and others feeling like the winter has already come. While going out in autumn can be a gamble(Will it rain? Will it snow? Will I get too warm?) it is well worth visiting any place with deciduous trees such as alder, beech and oak ,as these will change colours before shedding their leaves for winter.

Events

Blackpool Illuminations: an annual lights festival, founded in 1879, held each autumn in the British seaside resort of Blackpool in Lancashire.
31st October – Halloween: some people hold Halloween parties on or around this date and dress up as skeletons, ghosts or other scary figures.
October/November –Diwali: is a five-day festival observed by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, with its main theme as the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. It is also known as the festivals of lights. Houses are decorated with candles and colourful lights and people share gifts and recite prayers.
5th November – Bonfire Night: we commemorate the capture of Guy Fawkes with bonfires and fireworks, and by burning an effigy of Guy.
11th November – Remembrance Day: Remembrance Sunday is a day for the nation to remember and honour those who have sacrificed themselves to secure and protect our freedom. Remembrance events take place throughout the UK.
30th November – St Andrew’s Day is Scotland’s national day and is an official bank holiday in Scotland. It is marked with a celebration of Scottish culture.

Winter

Winter in the UK lasts from December through February. As previously mentioned, it does not get as cold as many other countries but it does get very wet and windy which makes it seems colder than it is. Winter is the rainiest season so you must always be prepared to stay dry when you leave the house and bundle up in hats, gloves and scarves to protect yourself from the bitter winds.

While it doesn't snow too often, it does snow at least a few times every year and you should be prepared with sturdy shoes for walking on ice. Though it snows every year, the UK is not always well prepared for a storm so you should expect delays with public transport and local traffic on snowy days and leave plenty of time to safely get where you need to go.

Just as our summer days are very long, our winter days are very short. For this reason, it is especially important to keep and eye on the mental health of you and those around you. Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is very common and nothing to be ashamed of. If you feel like the poor weather(or anything else) is causing you to have a low mood, talk to your GP or the Wellbeing Team.

Events

November/December – Hanukkah: Jewish communities across the UK celebrate Hanukkah (Chanukah) the festival of lights.
25th December – Christmas Day: it traditionally celebrates Jesus Christ's birth but many aspects of this holiday have pagan origins. People give and receive gifts, decorate their homes and prepare special festive meals. Many children wake up to find a sock or stocking filled with small gifts. These have been brought by 'Father Christmas' or 'Santa Claus', who lives for most of the year at the North Pole. He travels in a sleigh pulled by reindeer and enters houses by climbing down the chimney.
26th December – Boxing Day: is the day after Christmas Day and a public holiday. Traditionally, it was a day when employers distributed money, food, cloth (material) or other goods to their employees. Today it’s an important day for sporting events and the start of the post-Christmas sales.
31st December – New Year’s Eve: known as Hogmanay in Scotland is the last day of the year, according to the Gregorian calendar. People hold New Year's Eve parties and countdown of the last few minutes of the old year and welcome in the new year often with fireworks. In Scotland January 1 and 2 are bank holidays. In the rest of the UK only January 1 is a bank holiday.
1st January – New Year’s Day: The beginning of the new year and time to make your new year resolutions.
25th January – Burns Night: (Scotland): Scots celebrate the life of poet Robbie Burns.
14th February – Valentine’s Day: A romantic day where people send cards and gifts such as chocolates and flowers to the person they love. Many are sent anonymously.
Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day: The day before Lent begins. Lent is the traditional Christian period of fasting which begins 40 days before Easter and ends on Easter Sunday. Traditionally people would use up their eggs, milk and sugar by making pancakes before fasting. Many people still make and eat pancakes on this day.
Chinese New Year - This is the celebration of the Lunar new year in the Chinese calendar. Most cities in the UK celebrate Chinese New Year with parades, dragon dance exhibitions and fireworks.