When we go on holiday, one of the major selling points of a particular destination or country is often the climate- whether it’s the virtually guaranteed year-round sunshine in
Dubai or the reliable snow fall in the
Alps, weather conditions are often the unique selling point. The stability of a country’s weather conditions are dictated by many factors including its latitude, longitude, time of year and elevation, but in some cases such factors can’t be relied upon to predict climactic conditions.
Indeed, in some places the weather can’t be predicted at all which can be frustrating for both holiday-makers and locals. Of course unpredictable weather is all part of the unique charm of these seasonally-confused states. Here are five countries where the weather is just like a box of chocolates- you just don’t know what you’re gonna get!
The UK is notorious for being constantly doused in rain,;while this is by no means always the case, the UK’s location means that there are many different weather systems competing against each other creating some unusual results. For example, despite it’s reputation, you might expect the UK to enjoy some warm weather in the month that’s nick-named ‘flaming June’, well, think again. Bear in mind that 3 weeks previous, at the end of this past May, the UK enjoyed a blistering week of temperatures in the high-twenties. Confusing right? Holidaymakers visiting the UK in summer should be aware that they’re just as likely to get a week of rain as they are sunshine.
Barbados
Barbados is one of the most popular luxury holiday destinations in the Western World, and a favourite for overseas weddings and honeymoon. The welcoming island paradise is associated with white beaches, tropical fruit, easy-going locals, and of course, great weather. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows however, Barbados has its fair share of tropical storms which can occur at any point during the summer months.
The U.S obviously covers a huge area, and while some areas may be wholly predictable in weather terms (the
San Francisco Bay area for example, due to the proximity to calm, Pacific waters) other regions just have to keep guessing. Indeed it is inland areas that suffer most.
Springfield, Missouri officially has the most unpredictable weather according to
Forbes and some weather surveys, but the central southern states (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama) must take the prize for the violet hurricanes and tornadoes they’re susceptible to.
Photo by Velectron
Being located in the tropics, Malaysia is subject to some highly changeable and unpredictable weather. The atmosphere is extremely humid, which can easily turn clear, sunny skies into a deluge of rain. Because the country is spread across two distinct regions – the Peninsula to the West, and Bornean Malaysia to the East, weather conditions cannot be summed up succinctly as they differ across the two different regions, separated by an expanse of ocean.
Photo by Boydieharrison
Owning to its name, you might think that the weather in Iceland is predictably... Icy, right? Wrong. This island in the north Atlantic is surprisingly mild for its latitude, temperatures in Summer can reach 20 degrees, not too shabby! Iceland is possibly one of the most exciting places in the world for weather, not so much in terms of temperature variations, but rather the spectacular natural phenomena that occur here including geysers (jets of hot water that erupt from the ground), volcanic eruptions, and the northern lights, a spectacular show put on by mother nature.
Our guest blogger, Joe Johnson, is a weather enthusiast who never leaves home without his barometer (only joking!); he’s taking his Tenerife holidays later this year for some well deserved winter sunshine!