Seasons of the year in england

WINTER. Winter in England is milder than in any other country under the same latitude. In winter they have all sorts of weather. Sometimes it rains and sometimes it snows heavily, and they also have fog and frost. December is the stormiest month. January and February are the coldest and the worst. They get many cold, wet days one after another. The coldest weather, when it freezes night after night and remains cold during the day, is much more pleasant than the wet weather. Nothing is more wonderful than a quick walk on such a day! The winters are never cold enough to freeze the rivers. As the ice is rather thin, they seldom skate on the rivers in England. It may snow any time from November to March. In the south of England it doesn’t often snow, but the farther north-east one goes, the longer is the period during which snow may fall. On most days the snow melts either as it reaches the ground or in an hour or two. And still in England in winter it rains more often than it snows. That’s why some English people do not wear heavy overcoats but only warm raincoats. Winter temperatures below 5 degrees are rare.

In winter months strong winds are sometimes very dangerous because cold winds often turn rain into glazed frost. A severe glazed frost is much worse than a snowstorm. Telephone wires and tree twigs get covered with ice. Birds are often unable to fly because their feathers freeze together. However in the middle of February there is often a short period of unsettled mild weather.

SPRING. Really spring-like weather sets in about the middle of March. Grass turns green again. The warm days of late March bring everything in bloom.

April is the month of showers, that is why English people say: “April showers bring May flowers”. When it rains in April everybody knows that it helps things to grow. In April the first cuckoo arrives and starts calling.

May is really one of the pleasantest periods of the year. The orchards are in blossom. Different kinds of the fruit-trees flower at the same time. The weather in May is rather quiet. It doesn’t rain so often as in April, but sometimes thunderstorms break out.

SUMMER. The nearer the summer, the warmer the sun shines. But the summer in England is not so hot as it is on the continent.

Many are the jokes about the English summer – “I was in England the whole summer, but it rained both days” is a typical example. In June the days are the longest and the sun is the brightest. But it often happens that in June the weather is not so fine as it is in May. In June it is often as droughty as it is wet.

In July and August the weather is often fine and warm. There is also enough rain to keep the countryside fresh and green. July is decidedly the hottest month of the year over most of Britain. During a normal summer the temperature sometimes rises above 25 degrees in the south.

AUTUMN. Early autumn is time when Britain’s countryside is clothed in gold and brown. September has fewer rainy days in Britain than any other period of time. It often opens with fine weather. The sun sends down its soft light as if smiling on people and nature. It is not windy. The leaves come down from the trees in a shower of gold and red. It is real Indian summer.

In October it rains much. Besides it is the foggiest month of the year. They often have a thick fog in autumn and in winter. It comes often and stays for weeks together. It may be of different colours. It may be white, yellow and sometimes black because of the smoke of thousands of chimneys. When it is white it is not so bad, though it is more dangerous to cross the street in a white fog than in a black one. But worst of all is the yellow fog. It enters all the houses, all the rooms look quite dim. In a dense fog cars and buses move very slowly. People do not see each other at arm’s length. They walk along groping through the streets because they are afraid to lose their way in the fog.

Exercise 9.

Is the weather in your region as changeable as in Great Britain?

1. Would you agree with the following statements?

• In my opinion, Syktyvkar looks at it best in early autumn.

• Summers are not very hot and winters are not very cold in Syktyvkar.

• Autumn is the best season in our region.

• The weather in our city is very changeable.

• The Sysola affects the climate of Syktyvkar.

• There are many frosty days in our city in winter.

• Frosty weather is very pleasant when it’s not windy.

2. Describe the weather of different seasons in your region.

Exercise 10.

What is the weather like in different parts of Russia in spring, summer, autumn and winter?

Exercise 11.

1. Ask questions to the words in italics.

The weather is wonderful today.

When it rains people wear raincoats and carry umbrellas.

In autumn a thick fog spreads over London.

It snows and freezes in winter.

The ground is like iron and rings under the feet.

The icicles hang from the roofs of the houses.

The rivers and ponds are frozen over in winter.

Many people are sliding and skating on the frozen rivers.

Children like to fight with snowballs.

In March the thaw begins.

A cold wind is blowing from the North.

Exercise 12.

Translate the following proverbs and sayings or give their Russian equivalents. Explain their meaning and use them in situations of your own.

1. Every cloud has a silver lining.

2. It never rains but it pours.

3. Rain before seven, fine before eleven.

4. One swallow does not make a summer.

5. Make hay while the sun shines.

6. Sow the wind and reap the whirl-wind.

7. Everything is good in its season.

Exercise 13.

Translate the quotations and comment upon them.

‘There is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.’