Does the weather live up to its reputation?

Please forgive me if this was posted already, I did a few searches and found lots of comments about the weather but no specific thread.

I am not living in England yet, but will be next year and I am wondering if the weather is really as gloom and doom as "they" say.

6 out of 7 days per week overcast in the winter? 4.5 out of 7 in the summer? Say it ain't so!

I can deal with bitter cold, massive amounts of snow (I'm in Canada!), torrential rain, but weeks upon weeks of grey skies might just do me in.

Be honest. I need to know what I'm in for. If it's true, I might have to secure a prescription for anti-depressants during the winter. Hey, whatever works.

Ally

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/ee/

Be honest. I need to know what I'm in for. If it's true, I might have to secure a prescription for anti-depressants during the winter. Hey, whatever works.

It can vary, depending on which area you're living in.  It was a big adjustment for me coming from 360-days-of-sunshine-annually south Florida, where I was last living in the US.

A lot of people here are onto SAD lamps, and I'm probably going to be getting one but waiting to see how things go this winter - so far, okay-ish.

I think the weather here is a lot more changeable than places with a continental climate. Where I live (east coast of Scotland) it's very rare that we get several solid days without sunshine; it more likely that in one day we'll get all 4 season, including gorgeous sunshine, grey sky, sleet and gale force winds! Generally speaking the east coast is drier than the west, but also tends to be a bit colder. It gets dark early in the winter, but barely at all in the summer. Just depends on what exactly bothers you!

ETA: Under your name it says NS, Canada. If that means Nova Scotia, I think you'll find not a huge difference over here compared to NS.

I think the weather here is a lot more changeable than places with a continental climate. Where I live (east coast of Scotland) it's very rare that we get several solid days without sunshine; it more likely that in one day we'll get all 4 season, including gorgeous sunshine, grey sky, sleet and gale force winds!

We're about 30 minutes north of London, and have had a similar experience.  There are periods in the summer and winter when the weather stays the same for a few days at a time, but a lot of the time it just goes through 3 or 4 weather types in the same day.  The forecast on those days always makes me laugh: "Warm and sunny with cooler periods and some rain possible." 

Other countries have climate; we have weather.

It's very changeable and even more so on the coasts.  I know Plymouth was great for it's tons of weather all in one day.  

Overall though you have bad summers and good summers etc.  You can have periods of a week of lovely sun and then the next few weeks will be rainy and gray.  Mostly gray rather than rainy.  

I felt like a sunflower though... when you did get the sun popping through the clouds it was as if you just had to turn your face right to it and sit there and enjoy.  

So well yes the weather is better in some other places than in the UK.  But you can indeed learn to live with it and there are so many great things about living in the UK that it more than makes up for any rain IMO.

Thanks for the replies so far. I guess there really is no answer, lol. I can't make head nor tails of the climate charts because I can't find data (number of sunny days) from here to match up with it.

DrSuper, yes I'm in Nova Scotia and good to hear it won't be too much of a difference. The weather is unpredictable here too, and cold in winter, but sunny more often than not. It's the sun I'm worried about as I get really unmotivated without it. There's something about an overcast, damp day that says "really, that can wait!".

I will adapt. Need to keep reminding myself. Humans were made to adapt. If people from Texas or Florida can survive, so can I.

Someone mentioned SAD lights. I've heard of those and might give it a try if it really takes a toll on my mood. 

Just for example today in Derby we had bright sunshine with a few wispy clouds and a crisp breeze most of the day, until about 3pm when all the sudden I looked outside and the fog had come in...where it came from I don't know and now it is still pretty thick out there. Oh and it was dark at 4.30  , a couple more weeks and it will be dark at 3!

If you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes.

6 out of 7 days per week overcast in the winter? 4.5 out of 7 in the summer? Say it ain't so!

It is so.  And sooo depressing.

The weather changes rapidly, but often it is sunny when I work.  So by the time I am ready to go home it is dark (now anyway) and grey. 

If you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes.

That's what they say about Texas! I'm actually finding the weather, in general, fairly consistent, compared to what I'm used to. Texas weather--75 degree one day and a snow day the next  

The temperature here has been slowly decreasing and I haven't seen major drops or increases in temperature. Granted, I have only been in London for a month, but those are my experiences so far. If you are wondering about dressing oconnorkerry, the best advice I can give you is to layer it up. You'll want layers you can easily put on and be comfortable, but easy to remove when you enter a train station or anywhere with loads or people or heating. Before you get used to it, you'll probably find yourself sweating   The mornings can be quite chilly, but by midday, after the sun has been up, it is much warmer. I carry a small umbrella in my bag, you'll need one. So far, I have only seen soft drizzling that comes and goes. Again, those are my experiences so far.

My subjective opinion, coming here from east coast US and living in London: it rains a lot less than the stereotype (I don't think much at all!). The winters rarely get really cold (I get by with sweaters and a trench coat). What really does me in is the lack of sun. I don't know what the official stats say, but to me it feels like you rarely see the sun from about now until early March.

But, I do think there are lots of things to do to deal with it! I hear the SAD lights are really helpful but even things like getting a nice teapot and candles for the home, taking hot baths, finding a local pub that's really toasty, things like that.

I also highly recommend, if you can, taking advantage of the budget airlines and taking a mid-winter break somewhere sunny in the Med or somewhere (you can get cheap flights to loads of places, even north Africa...) Last January I did a really cheap weekend away in Madeira, 2hour flight, gorgeous weather and food, and it really killed my winter blues.

My subjective opinion, coming here from east coast US and living in London: it rains a lot less than the stereotype (I don't think much at all!). The winters rarely get really cold (I get by with sweaters and a trench coat). What really does me in is the lack of sun. I don't know what the official stats say, but to me it feels like you rarely see the sun from about now until early March.

Same here.  I moved from Boston and find the winters to be much easier to deal with, and I really appreciate that Spring arrives at least 6 weeks earlier.  I do have a tough time with the darkness, and not just the wintery dreariness, but the late sunrise, early sunset.  But weather-wise, I'll take the shorter, milder winters anyday. 

This past summer was way better in London than it was on much of the East Coast of the US.  Of course the year before, it was the reverse...