Living in a warm climate - how important is the weather to your quality of life?

[realhousewife23]

We're living abroad at the moment in a place with warm summers and mild winters. In the next few months we have to make the decision whether we want to stay longer term or return to the UK. One of the things we keep coming back to is the weather, specifically how the nicer climate really does enhance our quality of life, it's just so nice being able to enjoy outdoor living and it definitely makes me feel better. It's hard to imagine going back to UK weather where 20 degrees is considered a heatwave!! On the other hand however, it's just weather and one aspect of life and we'd probably get used to the UK again. I guess my question is, how much importance do you (or would you) place on a nice climate in determining whether to stay or return to the UK, given the impact it has on your overall quality of life?

I live in Asia and I miss European seasons. (we have hot and wet or hot and dry)

When DD1 (now 23) moved back to the UK for Uni having been brought up in Asia she said the winter mornings were the biggest thing to get used to. When she comes back to Asia to visit she loves the warm/pool culture in a holiday type way - but on balance she prefers living in the UK.

Yes maybe after a good few years here, I'm still in a holiday mindset!!

I've lived in the U.K. my whole 36 years, except one year when I lived on the west coast of Ireland, so I may not have an exact frame of reference, but to me a good climate would be a very important element. I love hot weather. These last couple of weeks have been my dream. I know I don't have any experience of the downside to compare but I would love to move somewhere outside of this country to have the outdoors lifestyle that a really good climate can afford. It would have a huge impact for me.

We lived in Oz for almost 8 years and around 2 years ago moved back to the U.K. to be near family etc, actually we really didn't realise how used to the lovely weather we'd got and have had a really hard couple of years with little ones in tow too. Just not being able to be doing activities outside for a lot of the time has meant we've swapped the beach/running around parks for indoor playgroups/singalongs etc - it's just been a real lifestyle shock and most likely we'll actually return to Oz. It sounds mad just saying it, that the weather could have such an effect, but I'm already dreading winter and not being able to do so much outdoors  our families totally understand and they can see us struggling ... it really is amazing to see the seasons here but gosh I don't want to get the winter coats and layers out again! good luck with the decision!

I would give anything to emigrate from the UK. The weather here has been beautiful recently. Because of that, me and DC have been in the garden all day, everyday - gardening, paddling pool, eating outside every night etc. As a result, we've all stayed off our phones, laptops etc. If I was in your position there is no way I would come back !

I'm in the southern USA, we have good weather pretty much all year round here (barring the odd hurricane) and have a pool in our garden, which is lovely. It's also great to be able to camp in March, attend outdoor concerts and plan BBQs weeks in advance.

We've settled really well here and are enjoying it but I'm not sure that the weather will be the thing we miss most when we go home in a few years.

I miss seasons, I miss light nights in the summer, I miss building snowmen with the kids etc.

The weather here is hot enough that it can actually be restrictive. It's really too hot to run after about 6:30am and walking across a parking lot leaves you drenched in sweat.

It's swings and round abouts really. I've never been the kind of person who longed for hot weather or was desperate to get a tan on holiday.

trendydork - that's exactly the kind of anecdote I was looking for. So if you decide to go back to Oz, you would say that getting back to a nicer climate would be a very big factor?

It sounds mad just saying it, that the weather could have such an effect - yes exactly this! It's hard explaining to people back home who've never lived everyday life in a nice climate what a positive impact it has on your wellbeing. However, it's not all a bed of roses and real life goes on no matter the weather, so I'm just wary of placing too much importance on it.

Well I'm fair skinned and don't like to get too much sun, I hate the mozzies and bugs and sometimes being outside in the day can be uncomfortable..........wait what was I saying about the good weather!! I have found it amusing reading about all the people back home who have been wishing there was AC available in the UK this week, makes me appreciate it here.

When DH and I moved to Australia over ten years ago, quite a few people said it must be because of the weather and we were .

However I would miss it now. I love the clear skies you get (Melbourne) even in the winter. It certainly gets cold, but Iove the proper seasons. Love the warm, and can put up with the heat.

I live in Cumbria. It rains a lot. I admit I'd prefer less rain, but the temperature is fine. Recently visited relatives who have just moved to southern Spain and I would hate to live there. It would be unacceptably hot for me for about half the year. Warm summers and mild winters sound ok though- but how warm is warm?

I'm Australian, have lived here all my life except for 2 years in the U.K. Those 2 years my mental health suffered at least partially to the lack of what I grew up with - sunshine and blue skies. I was astonished at how much difference it made, I hadn't expected it. It would be unfair to blame the weather in Dover for all my woes - I was a trailing spouse living in a tiny flat with 3 small kids and found it hard to make friends - but the lack of expansive skies and bright colours were influential.

We live somewhere with real seasons - snowy winters, sunny summers - and fab activities adapted to each. So it feels like the best of all worlds really. Short days in winter here but beautiful scenery and great winter sports make up for that, as does knowing there is 3 mths of 25c weather coming up.

I definitely get it when people say the weather is an important factor. Grey, damp weather in the uk is not very appealing.

Where do you live Bonapp?! Sounds perfect.

Lived in Spain for 8 years. Loved the outdoor life but hated mid July to and of August as it was just too hot and the coast became too crowded to enjoy. We are now lucky enough to be able to divide our time between UK and Spain and spend summer in the UK. Pretty perfect.

I understand completely. We live in the Midwest of the US and we love having real seasons. Hot summers and ridiculously cold winters! Not much rain, either. Our summer evenings are spent watching movies and bands at a local park. Although the extremes can be a challenge, I love it. It's one of the reasons I'll not live in the U.K. again.

It's one if the reasons I'll not live in the U.K. again.

Hillary - What are some of your other reasons for not wishing to return to the UK? Interested to hear other ex-pats pro / con arguments. I'm not going to lie, some of the [political] news coming of out the UK recently is making us question what the mood of the country is like at the moment.

Simply put- I don't think we could have the lifestyle in the U.K. that we have here. We live in a city of about 400,000 people that has tremendous schools/sports/arts/music/park system, etc. Incredibly bike-friendly - it's a pretty idyllic to raise our children. It was an adjustment from living in London, to be sure, but now it's home. That's not to say that I don't miss England at times, because I do, but overall there's really no contest.

Realhousewife23, we live in Australia and love it here. We'll stay here for good and we're happy with that! We know we'd miss the outdoors lifestyle here if we had to give it up. We're from Cornwall and I've always said Cornwall is gorgeous but it's never sunny and nice! I know of a couple of families that moved back home only to return again after huge expense and stress!

Do you have/will you have kids? It's so hard getting them out in rainy, cold weather. This is a huge factor for me. Museums and playgroups are grammar but they do live a good run in a wide open space. There aren't many days in Australia you can't achieve this. Height of summer and low of winter only really, and depending where you live that's only a few days in the year.

I live in Korea. Basically the weather is pretty bad year round, especially in the north (the north of South Korea, obviously, not North Korea!)

Cold, dry winters, gets down to minus 10 or 15 quite regularly. It wrecks your skin, mine is constantly flaky, no matter how much stuff I put on. Recently it has been a little milder though.

Summer is so hot and humid, but not in any pleasant sort of way. There are so many tall buildings that the heat gets trapped and it feels horrible. The only way to get round it is going to the mountains or air conditioned cafes.

Spring and autumn would be nice but they only last around two weeks. In spring, the yellow dust comes: yellow dust is dust that blows in from the Gobi desert, mixed with pollution. It is really bad for you, so you need an air purifier in your house and most people wear a mask when they go out. It has been terrible this year, it started around March and is still going now.

Autumn is probably the nicest, it's around 20 most days, but as I said, only lasts a few weeks.

The advantages are that in spring we get lovely cherry blossoms and in autumn, the leaves all turn red - there are a lot of maple trees here so the mountains are really beautiful. People come here specifically to see the autumn leaves.

Overall it does have a big impact on my mood, because I feel like I can never leave the house.

Makes me long for damp mild England!

I lived all my life in the UK and Ireland, until I moved to Oz in my 40s. We didn't move for the weather as such, but its the reason I will never leave, I bloody love it! Its winter now which means blue skies and a sunny 18 degrees and I'm cold and pissed off that I had to wear a coat on my way to work this morning! I love love love the summer, never realised I was such a sun bunny until I moved here, in the summer we are always out, we might as well throw away the tv. Then in winter we huddle round the log burner, but it only really lasts a few months. I even dread the though of visiting the UK or Ireland to be honest, although I love my family the thought of dreary grey skies and rain really makes me want to fly them out to here instead!

Well, i am the opposite! Live in Edinburgh so the weather is rubbish and would love it to be better! But, for me living close to good friends and family is so much more important. Culturally as well you are with people who 'get you'.

I have lived abroad though and totally understand how mood enhancing it is to be in nice weather and also to be able to plan activities (BBQ, trips out etc) knowing it will be nice but it doesnt make up for the good things that go with being at 'home'. It's also how you view things eg. If you are negative about poor weather.

However if I had been born in a warm country it would be very different!

I'm Australian and could not live in the UK despite all of its other wonderful attributes. The weather is simply too bleak. I love that where I live, I get four real seasons. Beautiful, clear, moderate springs and autumns, warm summers with crystal clear days, and snow in winter (but still clear days for the most part! We've had less than 5 days of crappy weather since March).

Wouldn't trade it, honestly. DH is Norwegian and Norway is a brilliant country for many reasons but the depth of winter is truly miserable and it lasts SO long. He wouldn't move back.

I live in the UK and the weather is perfect. 20 degrees is not a heatwave. I don't like extremes so I'm happy with what we have. It doesn't rain much compared with most other countries.

Courses for horses. I hate hot weather. Summer has finally come and I do not like it. Anything above 20 is too hot and my ideal is about 15. I like rain, I like bleak, I find it cosy. I absolutely could never live somewhere hot.

But carry on sun worshippers!