Read about the climate of the UK and translate the words in bold.

The United Kingdom has a temperate climate, with plentiful rainfall all year round. The positon of the British Isles within the latitudes 50° to 60° is a basic factor in determining the main characteristics of the climate. It’s maritime, temperature with no dry season and with summers only moderately warm. The country experiences the often unsettled weather thus many types of weather can be experienced in a single day.

Regional climates in the United Kingdom are influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and latitude. Northern Ireland, Wales and western parts of England and Scotland, being closest to the Atlantic Ocean, are generally the mildest, wettest and windiest regions of the UK, and temperature ranges here are seldom extreme. Eastern areas are drier, cooler, less windy and also experience the greatest daily and seasonal temperature variations. Northern areas are generally cooler, wetter and have slightly larger temperature ranges than southern areas. Though the UK is mostly under the influence of the maritime tropical air mass from the south-west, different regions are more susceptible than others when different air masses affect the country: Northern Ireland and the west of Scotland are the most exposed to the maritime polar air mass which brings cool moist air; the east of Scotland and north-east England are more exposed to the continental polar air mass which brings cold dry air; the south and south-east of England are more exposed to the continental tropical air mass which brings warm dry air (and consequently most of the time the warmest summer temperatures); and Wales and the south-west of England are the most exposed to the maritime tropical air mass which brings warm moist air.

The temperature varies with the seasons seldom dropping below −11 °C(12 °F) or rising above 35 °C (95 °F). The prevailing wind is from the south-west and bears frequent spells of mild and wet weather from the Atlantic Ocean, although the eastern parts are mostly sheltered from this wind since the majority of the rain falls over the western regions the eastern parts are therefore the driest. Atlantic currents, warmed by the Gulf Stream, bring mild winters; especially in the west where winters are wet and even more so over high ground. Summers are warmest in the south-east of England, being closest to the European mainland, and coolest in the north. Heavy snowfall can occur in winter and early spring on high ground, and occasionally settles to great depth away from the hills.

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Some more facts about Britain

Great Britain - Climate

5°

42

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6°

31

_

7°

38

_

10°

40

_

13°

46

_

16°

48

_

18°

42

_

18°

52

_

16°

53

_

13°

43

_

9°

54

_

6°

48

_

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May

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Temperatures °C (degrees Celsius) in London
Rainfall (mm) in London
(Average values for each month)