Honest question from someone considering moving back to the UK!

[Rainbunny]

Despite Brexit Armageddon etc!! My DH and I are actually considering moving back to the UK after years overseas. After all the serious issues have been debated between us, the last remaining (surprisingly serious) issue is... the weather! So I'm throwing this out there to get an MN sense of the general weather in the UK since I haven't lived here for twenty years. How often does it actually rain in general do you think? Every other day? (for example) We would be relocating to a city about an hour's north of London for reference. This is somewhat of a thing since my DH really does get SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and we've struggled through a previous environment due to this. Appreciate all thoughts on the matter!

I just googled it for London, and this was the top answer:

According to the Met Office Climate data, over the 30 year period, there were 106.5 days of rainfall per year on average (which counts as a day in which 1mm of rainfall or over fell). This means that there was rainfall on 29 per cent of days per year and on average it didn't rain 71 per cent of days per year.3 Sep 2017

If you're considering an hour away from London, this'll be close (assuming it's accurate). According to this, it's nearly a third.

There are also loooong nights in winter. EG in December it doesn't get properly light until around 9am and it starts getting dark around 3:30 - 4.

I live in the East, which is the driest part of the country. This summer, it didn't rain for weeks, but we had an unusually long heatwave. Hot weather is never guaranteed in any part of the UK.

The weather varies from year to year, and the rain doesn't follow a pattern, but you'd be lucky to get two weeks without rain. Rain will often be drizzly and prolonged, not just a short, sharp shower. I wouldn't recommend it if your husband has got SAD. Autumn and winter are much more often dank, grey and drizzly than cool and crisp and for me the worst part is the long hours of darkness - leaving for work when it's dark and not getting back until after dark.

We think the weather is different now to 15 years ago. We moved south for better light...

It's not so much the rain but it's the endless grey days ( with no rain) that grind me down

This summer, it’s hardly rained at all.

www.theweatheroutlook.com/forecast/uk-seasonal-weather-forecast

Is this any help?

It depends where you live. I'm in north Cambridgeshire and generally v dry and quite sunny. Particularly at the moment!
Just got back from the Scottish border, lots of rain and 10 degrees cooler.
(I love Scotland and the climate is so different).

Generally the East of the country is a lot dryer than the West.

East Anglia has the lowest rainfall, but can also be damn cold when there is an east wind straight from Siberia with nothing in the way.

SAD is more to do with limited daylight hours in the winter, so the southern part of the UK would be better.

IME rain and cold are not the main problem in the winter and early spring, it’s not too bad in London/south. it’s commuting in the dark mornings and evenings. I improve things with: a super warm commuting coat, great coffee flask/breakfast or tea lunchbox, and a naice, cosy house. The latter is expensive, the others not too costly!

If your commute is short (eg within the place you live rather than to London) the problem will be less.

Where are you now for comparison?

Depends where you are. In the north of Scotland you have fantastically long summer days. Of course the flipside is the long nights in winter!

I agree with previous posters; it’s not the cold and rain but the dark mornings and evenings that I hate. I feel like from October/March, I leave the house to go to work in the dark and come home in the dark-it’s quite depressing.

Can rain every day for a week, and not rain for several weeks. Look at the historical weather for your intended location

I had to move back here permanently 4 years ago. Living in England has many many benefits but the unrelentless greyness of the place does me 'ead in.

I moved from London to the SW. I was not prepared for the difference in the weather and it's something I continue to struggle with after twenty odd years.

My solution now I am retired is to spend a lot of the winter in sunnier places. I would make sure your budget allows you to take regular holidays.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I do think the constant grey skies will be an issue more than rain in fact. We currently live in Southern California so warm weather and lots of sunshine are the daily background. We did spend a few years in the Pacific Northwest which were tough for my DH but at least the Pacific Northwest had beautiful hot dry summers every year and I know that isn't a guarantee in the UK. We will plan on having a holiday somewhere warm every winter so hopefully we will adjust.

OMG. DO MORE RESEARCH!

The UK (whether in the drier or the wetter bits) could NOT be more different from Southern California. You might be about to make a HUGE mistake.
Do it, by all means, but only if youv'e got enough funds to change your minds if necessary.

HTH. Sorry (insert shame-faced emoticon here)

Rainbunny I think the UK is worse than the PNW as you say as usually you can't rely on any summer. The overcast grayness is also worse in the UK I think.

Having just experienced the 'long hot summer' and the delightful freedom of throwing on a slip dress every day and not worrying about whether to take out just a cardi or also a coat, eating outside or just sitting outside enjoying the evening light and warmth, the shift back into grey skies and unpredictable precipitation has been distinctly depressing. Every autumn I feel so cold I wonder how I will survive the winter.

I returned from Hong Kong to the UK - my advice: don't come back. The weather is shite.

Please consider this carefully, SoCal to England will be a horrible change weather wise. I have several friends who made the move back to the UK from Australia, they mostly regret it because of the weather. It can be an expensive mistake to make! I'd try a long holiday in winter first to see how your husband copes.

Also in the PNW you have mountains 90 minutes away in the winter to ski/snowboard. If you don't live under a mountain in Scotland/Wales you can forget that.

It's the greyness, not really the rain. I grew up in the Northeast US where winters are bitterly cold, but it was usually clear and sunny with blue skies. In London it sometimes felt like months without a decent stretch of sunshine. It affected my mood for sure. We've relocated to a sunny climate and I immediately noticed a difference.

I wouldn’t make that move if you paid me a billion pounds and then gave my children a billion pound each.

Not a chance. Ever. Never.

Firstly, what an odd question to ask mn. Surely you can just google this.

Secondly I assume SAD is about daylight, not rain.

We are in the same position as you OP, considering moving back. I’m wondering about how we’ll handle the weather too.We’re in the north of NZ and have been here about 15 years. I remember the UK greyness but hope it won’t make us permanently grumpy. I’m thinking we should try a year’s trial but I don’t know how easy that would be. Would be great to do a house/ life swap with a family that’s considering moving in the other direction .