Especially if you’re from a country that is near the equator where the sun in always blaring over your head in the middle of the day, whenever someone mentions England or the UK the first thing that pops into your mind is the 4 seasons that they get to enjoy. The thought of experiencing snow during the winter season is probably one of your earliest childhood dreams from watching all those shows and movies. Watching flowers bloom as the season moves from winter to spring or watching the leaves turn from green to brown before they fall to the ground in autumn in preparation for winter.
I’d like to shed some light (something you don’t see too often in the UK) on the British weather. When I first arrived in the UK it was autumn. Sweater weather! The sun was beaming and the cold was just right. At this point the leaves were just turning brown. It was the weather we Malaysians always dreamed of. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, this was only temporary. It wasn’t long before winter had arrived.
For those of you looking forward to experiencing snow, unfortunately, Southampton just isn’t the place. But if you like cold winds and rain, winter in Southampton is the right place for you! Unfortunately (?) Southampton doesn’t get much snow at all and in most cases it doesn’t ever snow here. As Southampton is a port city, you do often get windy days, most likely from the sea breeze. This can be a real pain, especially during the winter season where the winds will just send chills down your spine (quite literally!). As much as I’ve made it sound gloomy, Southampton isn’t all too bad especially when you compare it to the cities and towns up North. Having played football in Sheffield, I can vouch that the weather in Southampton is as mild as it gets. The length of days also get much shorter during the winter. The sunsets as early as 4.30pm here at times. I have to admit, during these times it can be difficult to be productive. You sometimes leave for classes and you look up and see how dark it is and you’re just mentally ready for the day to end.
Then we move on to the more pleasant spring season. People predict spring to be around late February or early March but nobody really knows. It’s May now yet there’s still the odd cold day/night. It’s even snowed in April but not long enough to build a snowman :(. But you see the trees getting greener and beautiful flowers appearing around the campus and the city. There are some days where you look at how nice the weather is outside and just know that it’s gonna be a good day. This time of the year you’ll see a lot of people going for a run as the weather is perfect. Unlike back in Malaysia where running in the afternoon is a suicide mission, running in the afternoon here is pleasant as you don’t sweat as much. There’s also plenty of pleasant places to go for a jog here in Southampton like The Common or Riverside Park. With the length of days also getting longer, you have plenty of time to carry out outdoor activities. The sun sets as late as 8pm in April. It is especially during this period you find yourself being more productive and able to accomplish more in a day. Below are some lovely photos of the campus on a beautiful spring day in May.
Summer is fast approaching and I looking forward to experiencing what a British summer looks like. It is true that the British weather is rather gloomy, but there are days where the weather is just perfect. Personally I enjoy not sweating from just walking out of my house :).
