Nice video. I live in Madrid and rain here is incredibly random, one year we can have an "English" climate, the next year it does not rain at all for 5 months. That produces very different climate with not so diffetent amount of rain. Also the landscape can look like a desert or an european forest, depending on the soil, wind or human activity of a particular place. Some parts of Italy (with 800 mm of rain), can also look "arid" because of the irregular rain pattern and droughts.
Its funny because here in central London even in the summer I often see thunderstorms hit west London (London heathrow) and miss here. When you say London gets 600mm that's likely LH or RAF northolt. Hence why st jamess park is drier than London heathrow. Other than June and August which were dry this year has been very very wet. Also another thing worth noting about here in central London is whilst some parts of east Anglia are slightly drier the humidity here is mostly the lowest in the country. It seems like the urban heat island not only warms the temp but slightly lowers the humidity. Being slightly inland also likely helps. Also by using plants as proof the only place in the uk where the true date palm has ever been able to survive is in London which is very fussy compared to other desert palms about cold wet conditions and high humidity with cool winter averages.
Also there was a study published off the last 10 years of data that shows if that data was used central-east London and parts of east Anglia would meet the csb koppen criteria.
Reminds me of Portugal, very small country with huge variations in precipitation, with the northwest having almost rainforest conditions, and the southeast being a demi desert.
i love being a Brit and going through the whole weather spectrum some weeks. today it was boiling in the afternoon (19-20 degrees), with a clear sky, late this morning we had high winds and stinging rain. early morning was light drizzle and a bit misty. the evening was dominated by light to heavy rain in waves
Another Norfolk resident. I was completing a hike from Felixstowe to Orford along the Suffolk coastline. When I got to Shingle Street village - aptly named. Zillions of sea shells everywhere. The heat was intense & I nearly flaked. Similar of your description in the video.
I love videos about the different geographical variations across Britain. I was unsure about whether to subscribe when I first found you but now I definitely am.
Being as much of the land in East Anglia is reclaimed from the sea it would interesting to see what the the microclimate would be under more natural circumstances.
One of the locations I find fascinating is Tain Range in Easter Ross. It has a average rainfall of 660mm per year which is tiny compared to the rest of northern Scotland which has an overall average of 1701 mm per year.
My ex boss moved from Cwmbran in Wales to Corby in Northamptonshire and was staggered to discover that it can go for weeks here without raining. Though today it's persisting it down with rain!
The funny thing is, Europe is mostly wet on its west coast. And since there is a remarkable amount of west coast, it's also very wet. On the other hand, the east coast is much drier. Case in point: London gets less annual rainfall than Barcelona or even Malta. The difference is that in Malta, there is zero rainfall from half June until about half August or later. But at the end of summer, you tend to get massive downpours. In London, you get rain evenly distributed throughout the year.
Very interesting vlog that would surprise most of my fellow Americans. To me, the natural scenery in East Anglia and a lot of SE England reminds me of where I live near Chicago. We average about 34” of annual rainfall vs the 23”-26” in these areas. Shorter trees interspersed with tall grass prairie (as we refer to it here). This makes sense: although we get more precipitation on average (and colder winters), summers are longer and hotter and the sun angle is higher due to our lower latitude. Thus evapotranspiration is higher around here. The end result is somewhat similar scenery. Poland and parts of Ukraine look similar as well. The faux arid places you featured are anomalies but interesting.
I think what a lot of people don't take into account is just how warm the UK is for the latitude, it has areas that don't receive frost in the average winter which makes subtropical gardening quite a big thing here
I imagine you have served in the military here,if not you probably know we do get a lot of american residents here in west suffolk and norfolk due to the usaf airbases at mildenhall and lakenheath,both these towns are set in the heart of the brecklands ,perfect places for airstrips,flat,sandy ground that drain well.
@@bazzatheblue Actually no, my wife’s father is from the UK so I’ve visited several times. Seen a lot of England and as well as some of Scotland and Wales.
Have lived in the North West of England where it rains a lot more than in Hampshire where I grew up. Now living in western Germany where I re-named Dusseldorf "Drizzledorf", it's that bad. No different to the UK, if not worse. Certainly worse than East Anglia.
Interesting and thought provoking video (subscribed). There is a reason why the UK is not as cold as other countries/regions on the same latitude as the UK and that is in large part due to the Gulf stream (the Atlantic current). The Gulf stream brings warm waters up to the UK from the tropics, slowly releasing heat into the atmosphere/environment, and as such keeping those areas warmer (and wetter in the case of the UK). The Gulf stream also gives us the "Scottish Riviera", where Galloway's climate is warmer than the Scottish average and warmer than North England. If it wasn't for the Gulf stream, the UK would be a lot colder, potentially have winters like Norway in certain areas. This also then highlights the complexities inherent in climate change and environment/climate. Such as, although the climate is on average warming due to global emissions, if the Gulf stream for example dhut down, the UK would likely get colder as a result, the opposite of what climate change would indicate from it's average temperature increases. And it's facts like this that confuse people and make some believe it's not real. The climate, ecosystem and environment are incredibly interlinked and extremely complex.
The Gulf Stream is definitely a major factor in keeping the UK’s climate milder than other places at the same latitude, but it's worth noting that it's not the only influence. Other factors, like prevailing westerly winds and the surrounding ocean, also contribute to the UK’s relatively mild winters and cool summers. As for the Gulf Stream shutting down, it’s a possibility, but not a certainty. Some climate models do suggest that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), of which the Gulf Stream is a part, could slow down due to global warming. However, recent research indicates that a full shutdown is unlikely anytime soon, though a slowdown could still impact weather patterns in Europe. There’s still debate on the timescale and extent of these changes. So while the idea of a Gulf Stream shutdown sounds alarming, there’s also evidence that it might not fully collapse, which means the UK's climate may not swing as dramatically as some might expect. That said, the overall complexity of the climate system makes predicting regional effects tricky! Thanks for your comment.
@ProjectPlantBack , that's very true, there are other factors at play that all have varying effects on the UK climate. I agree it's unlikely to shut down (at least in the near future anyway), however, there is evidence that the AMOC has/may have shut down in the past (e.g between 12,900 and 14,500 years ago). And as temperatures rise, and glaciers and arctic ice melts, there will be a potentially significant impact on the AMOC. But you are of course correct, the many differing interactions of the sea, AMOC, jet streams, trade winds, solar cycles, etc., all make predictions incredibly difficult in the short and long term. That's not to say good predictions can't be made, it's just that other factors can change things that would then alter predictions. It's all fascinating stuff
@@antonycharnock2993 thanks for the comment and thanks for watching, I’m a horticultural post grad alongside biochemistry as my background, so I am not an expert in this topic I just happen to enjoy it
I grew up in South Essex, near the Dartford Crossing. The climate there really is semi-arid these days! The climate there does feel like Spain - winter is a few weeks of dull weather around Xmas and that's it! Otherwise it seems warm all year, and baking hot in summer (I live up North now, so it really strikes me when I go there). I have a vague recollection of our geography teacher at school telling us that he only measured around 14" (say 350mm) of rain in the previous year. I think that the heat of the built up London area means that rain falls there, and no much gets across to Essex. Lawns are basically dead from May to September - the lawns in my Mother's house basically gave up and permanently died in one of the heatwaves a few years ago!
It's just because it's further to the east. Built up central London is drier than not very built up green west London. Though the higher temps in London in my opinion makes the grass drier than elsewhere.
@timbounds7190 Parts of Essex are in a rain shadow. The predominant south-westerly weather systems of England mean that clouds dump most of their rain in the hilly west and the rest of the rain goes straight over the top of Essex, as the countryside is so flat.
@@stevebarlow3154 Yes, it was often said locally that where we lived was in a rain shadow. I presume that all the heat and rising air over London causes it to rain there, and by the time it crosses the M25 (with a W/SW wind) it's pretty dry air! There again, when I was a kid, there were lots of cement works in the area, and when it rained all the cars were covered in white dirt washed out of the air! Its pretty shocking how bad pollution was actually!
@@timbounds7190 I was looking at my atlas and apart from whatever effect London had on your weather, you are surrounded by low hills. To the west you have the Chilterns, to the north west you have the East Anglian Heights and to the south you have the North Weald. They are probably the cause of your rain shadow.
@@stevebarlow3154 Well, we were in the Marshes! Anywhere else is hillier! No hills between us and London though - almost a clear view of Canary Wharf from the M25 at Brentwood!
I used to live in Sydney, which has roughly about twice the rainfall of London. But the way the rain falls is very different. In London you can get a gentle drizzle lasting all day, but in Sydney you often get monsoon like conditions. Where huge amounts of rain may fall, but it will only last half an hour and be sunny the rest of the day.
Great stuff, awesome vid. I was always aware of these microclimates and fluctuations of our isles, having family in the green wet south west, drier, hotter north kent and the strange microclimate of thanet.
Stanton Downham near Thetford was engulfed by sand dunes in the 18th century I think that I recall that the issue with sandstorms and sand dunes in the area was the reason why the pine forests were planted, I think with a majority of Mediterranean pine species There has been some issues with top soil erosion in the area around Thetford
It always fascinates me how mild the UK climate is. One thing I love is palms, proper palms. In the UK a lot of places confuse Flax or Cordyline Australis with real Palms. Cordyline and Flax love the cold and a trip to New Zealand's South Island will confirm that. Real palms, even Trachycarpus are special and can be found all over the UK. Though I've heard that Scotland has palms in isolated places the furthest north I've seen proper palms were several specimens of Trachycarpus Fortunei in a park in Sunderland in the North East. I've also seen them in peoples gardens and on roadsides in and around Leeds.
To put into perspective just how mild here in central London I have archontophoenix in the ground. Some also in Cornwall, The isle of Wight and on the south coast in warmer microclimates. We also have the NZ native Nikau palms, thousands on the Isles of Scilly.
Hi Project Plant Back, thank you form doing this, my first encounter with arid semi-desert in this country was not far from Cambridge where I now live on ordinary arable land that had been taken out of cultivation for about three years, what I observed of a significant area was that the surviving weeds were growing with no overlap of their leaves, this was towards the end of the growing season about the time of 'normal' harvest. This desertification was very clearly the consequence of not only water shortage but also relentless nutrient depletion, in particular the four decades of brutaculture without any input of organic matter which is vital for the retention of water and dissolved nutrients.The approximate date of this discovery was about nineteen eighty something. As it happens that period was one in which while average annual rainfall was about normal the seasonal variations were significant with very low late summer rainfall. There was little doubt in my mind then or now that the principle reasons for this phenomenon were related to land management not climate. What I have consistently observed since is that each winter more and n=more arable fields are partially flooded and in many cases shallow water on flat land sits there for several months in spite of the proximity of drainage channels within a few metres. This too is the product of bad management, again the lack of organic matter in the soil restricts drainage, what does happen is that more of the rain runs off the surface into the drainage system and thus deprives the aquifer of its much needed top ups. Cheers, Richard.
Hi Richard, Thank you for sharing your observations-it’s fascinating to hear about your firsthand experience with the arid semi-desert near Cambridge. It’s alarming how nutrient depletion and poor land management can transform otherwise productive land in such a relatively short time. Your points about the lack of organic matter and its role in both water retention and nutrient availability are especially relevant today, as we continue to see the long-term impacts of intensive agriculture. The seasonal rainfall variation you mentioned adds another layer of complexity, especially when combined with the land management issues. It’s striking that even though rainfall averages might seem "normal," the actual distribution across seasons can have such profound effects. I completely agree with your assessment that these changes are largely due to management practices rather than purely climate-related factors. The flooding issue you’ve observed in the winter months highlights another critical aspect of poor soil health and drainage. It’s concerning that shallow water remains in fields for so long, even when drainage channels are nearby. I hadn’t considered the connection between organic matter deficiency and poor drainage before, but it makes perfect sense. The runoff issues further exacerbating the situation by depriving the aquifer is also something that needs more attention. Thanks again for this insightful contribution-your experience is a powerful reminder of how vital sustainable land management is for both our agricultural output and environmental resilience. Cheers!
@@ProjectPlantBack Hi ProjectPlantBack, thank you very much for your excellent response, reading it makes me realise tyhat what I wrote was not only accurate but also quite coherent and sensible, when I produce such material I do not know if any of it will make sense to anyone else, this from you is deeply reassuring!. To elaborate slightly I feel I should point out that my background and experience is almost entirely practical, I did study horticulture on day release as a teen-ager and had already passed an O-level GCE exam on the strength of the biology that I had learned and understood. The practical application of what I was taught started me on a path of self education based on experience practise and observation that continues to this day although the only work I do now is as a conservation volunteer for the RSPB. For many years I have been wondering just how and why we as people have been so indifferent to the realities of the natural world, acting as if in some arcane way we are masters of the environment rather than its subjects. I have a few ideas of course but no definite answers, it does look as if there is more than a little fundamentally defective about human nature!. Most of what is actually happening appears to be related to the warped financial systems we have invented along with silly ideas about 'ownership' and control but they are only the mechanisms of corruption if there is an underlying problem it does not seem obvious. Cheers, Richard.
Yet The Hague doesn't invest in waterstorage in Limburg, Achterhoek and Twente areas. Because water aka Life is the enemy. The problem is Dutch culture at heart when seeing water, which brings life, as the enemy. It means the Dutch cultivate a deathcult. Body. Bode. Boden. Bodem. Bottom. Serfdom and submales are part of the Dutch problem. What do the Dutch? More serdom. That is exactly why the country is led by leftoids in denial and on it's way to the end of existence. And the king studied watermanagement. 😂
Only places where the average annual precipitation is less than 10 inches (250 mm) can be classified as deserts. There is no such place in England (by a wide margin). Hence, there is no desert in England. Could be a desert of the mind, of empathy, compassion, or charity, or even intelligence or creativity, but not even remotely an actual desert (in terms of geography). It's up to the readers and viewers which other type of desert they wish to label any part of England.😛
Obviously there are no true deserts in the UK, but Dungeness gets about 20 inches of rain a year and the huge expanse of shingle make it a very arid area and strange place.
The broads dont really drop in water levels like that much of it is tidal and the upper reaches are supplied by reliable chalk streams and are prevented from draining by the tidal lower reaches leaving us with very reliable water levels
East Anglia is an interesting region when it comes to climate. Despite being home to several flooded sites, such as the fens and areas prone to coastal flooding, it's actually one of the driest regions in the UK. This is largely due to its geography-it's sheltered from the westerly winds that bring much of the rain to the UK, and being in the southeast, it generally receives less rainfall than areas in the west. The contradiction of having both flood-prone areas and a relatively dry climate highlights how local geography and human intervention, like drainage systems, play a big role in shaping the environment. It's a reminder that even in drier regions, localized factors can still create flood risks.
The low altitude of the land in certain areas means poor drainage. Dutch engineers were imported in the 17th century to start draining the land (as they had done in the Netherlands) The big wet area (the Norfolk Broads) was also created by man in the middle ages due to peat digging It's an area of contradictions, wet but dry
@@grahamsmith9541 well, proportionally, some regions could be considerated arid for some smaller scale maps, and if everything was only done with the map of this specific region, and ajusted, the region could be the "desert" of that world.
@@claudetheclaudeqc6600 The Met Office debunked the desert theory in 2015. It receives more than 250 millimetres of precipitation per year. Deserts have large differences between day and night temperatures. With very little rainfall. Neither criteria apply to Dungeness.
Dungeness is a functional desert due to the extreme drainage of the shingle and inability to hold moisture, though it gets too much rain to be a true desert.
@@ProjectPlantBack I went there with a friend. My friend loved it and said he'd love to live there. I felt completely the opposite about the place lol.
@@LiamE69 Yes same reason people who plant cacti in the uk put them in stony sandy soil helps them do a lot better as it is dries the soil out much faster.
Yes, 547 mm of annual rainfall is considered relatively low for a temperate climate. Most temperate climates typically receive between 600 mm and 1,500 mm of rainfall per year, depending on the region and proximity to bodies of water. For instance, many temperate regions, particularly those near the coast, tend to have much higher rainfall, while inland areas or regions with rain shadow effects can have lower amounts. A figure of 547 mm could be more characteristic of semi-arid regions or places on the drier end of the temperate spectrum, such as parts of the Mediterranean or interior plains.
Hi new here not sure if you done a video on it but can you do rare or endangered plants or trees with edible fruits or vegetables or idk root 😂. I hear cardon cactus Barry’s are good and get bigger then the az cactus 🌵 but also in parts of az cardon live in it. Yes I definitely got the name wrong I can say it can’t spell it ai can’t figure out what I’m saying and gives me multiple words like dam ai it’s one word work with me 😂.
@@philjameson292 I was lost for days and almost died of thirst, but I was rescued by nomads and nursed back to health in their tent then returned to civilisation across the trackless miles of Essex desert.
Norfolk resident here. It's pissing down today.
From suffolk and its pissing down aswell
@@AndyFurze It's a piss derby!
Yup!
this made me chuckle XD
weather isn't climate
Congratulations on posting this exactly as the region is beset by extreme rain and flooding.
Deserts are prone to flash floods 🤔
@@destinyraven-silva4944 We have an awful lot of flash floods in East Anglia!!!
weather isn't climate
@@sarahlouise7163 really? Do we even have a climate without weather.
Somehow, I suspected that England's "desert" couldn't be anywhere near Manchester.
Nice video. I live in Madrid and rain here is incredibly random, one year we can have an "English" climate, the next year it does not rain at all for 5 months. That produces very different climate with not so diffetent amount of rain. Also the landscape can look like a desert or an european forest, depending on the soil, wind or human activity of a particular place. Some parts of Italy (with 800 mm of rain), can also look "arid" because of the irregular rain pattern and droughts.
thetford resident here, been pissing it down all day definitely aint arid at all
Its funny because here in central London even in the summer I often see thunderstorms hit west London (London heathrow) and miss here. When you say London gets 600mm that's likely LH or RAF northolt. Hence why st jamess park is drier than London heathrow. Other than June and August which were dry this year has been very very wet. Also another thing worth noting about here in central London is whilst some parts of east Anglia are slightly drier the humidity here is mostly the lowest in the country. It seems like the urban heat island not only warms the temp but slightly lowers the humidity. Being slightly inland also likely helps. Also by using plants as proof the only place in the uk where the true date palm has ever been able to survive is in London which is very fussy compared to other desert palms about cold wet conditions and high humidity with cool winter averages.
Also there was a study published off the last 10 years of data that shows if that data was used central-east London and parts of east Anglia would meet the csb koppen criteria.
Reminds me of Portugal, very small country with huge variations in precipitation, with the northwest having almost rainforest conditions, and the southeast being a demi desert.
I imagined that sentence in Eric Olthwaite's voice.
I wouldn't say it was a very small country, It's not Andorra.
i love being a Brit and going through the whole weather spectrum some weeks. today it was boiling in the afternoon (19-20 degrees), with a clear sky, late this morning we had high winds and stinging rain. early morning was light drizzle and a bit misty. the evening was dominated by light to heavy rain in waves
Another Norfolk resident. I was completing a hike from Felixstowe to Orford along the Suffolk coastline. When I got to Shingle Street village - aptly named. Zillions of sea shells everywhere. The heat was intense & I nearly flaked. Similar of your description in the video.
@@maryhairy1 brilliant example, thank you
I love videos about the different geographical variations across Britain. I was unsure about whether to subscribe when I first found you but now I definitely am.
Thank you very much for your subscription :)
55cm is twice what we get where I live, in the US Mountain-West but I guess by UK standards that's kinda dry?
@@milo8425 we have a temperate maritime climate
I live there, it still rains too much! It is raining right now, it has rained a fair amount this year as it does many years.
So England's wetlands are our driest regions ?
@@robertmcgivern6585 all of east Anglia is not a wetland
@@ProjectPlantBack Ok, so England's wetlands are IN our driest regions.
@@robertmcgivern6585 yes sir
and a place called the wash
Nice picture of a dry reservoir high in the Pennines, one of the wettest places in England and miles from East Anglia.
@@robertwood4681 which one?
Being as much of the land in East Anglia is reclaimed from the sea it would interesting to see what the the microclimate would be under more natural circumstances.
One of the locations I find fascinating is Tain Range in Easter Ross. It has a average rainfall of 660mm per year which is tiny compared to the rest of northern Scotland which has an overall average of 1701 mm per year.
Suffolk resident here, it has been pouring with rain for three days. I know what you mean though.
Very interesting topic. Great energy! I'm curious for more.
@@the_neutral_container thank you so much!
Great channel! Thanks to the algorithm for bringing me here
Did you really say Scarce like that? To rhyme with arse..? Good grief Mr :)
My ex boss moved from Cwmbran in Wales to Corby in Northamptonshire and was staggered to discover that it can go for weeks here without raining. Though today it's persisting it down with rain!
It’s called a partial rain shadow and it’s one of the reasons l am moving back from soggy Cheshire.
I remember doing this in school many years ago , but not in such detail . But I think you are over over stating your case .
The funny thing is, Europe is mostly wet on its west coast. And since there is a remarkable amount of west coast, it's also very wet. On the other hand, the east coast is much drier.
Case in point: London gets less annual rainfall than Barcelona or even Malta. The difference is that in Malta, there is zero rainfall from half June until about half August or later. But at the end of summer, you tend to get massive downpours. In London, you get rain evenly distributed throughout the year.
Europe has an east coast???? Are you referring to the Black Sea?
@@BigJFindAWay Sweden, Great Britain, Spain, Italy... the east coast of Spain is the sunniest area in Europe.
Not really summers here seems drier than they used to be not Med level dry but going that way.
East Anglia should be one of the wettest counties in England. Use to be mainly marshland and fenn
Very interesting vlog that would surprise most of my fellow Americans. To me, the natural scenery in East Anglia and a lot of SE England reminds me of where I live near Chicago. We average about 34” of annual rainfall vs the 23”-26” in these areas. Shorter trees interspersed with tall grass prairie (as we refer to it here). This makes sense: although we get more precipitation on average (and colder winters), summers are longer and hotter and the sun angle is higher due to our lower latitude. Thus evapotranspiration is higher around here. The end result is somewhat similar scenery. Poland and parts of Ukraine look similar as well. The faux arid places you featured are anomalies but interesting.
I think what a lot of people don't take into account is just how warm the UK is for the latitude, it has areas that don't receive frost in the average winter which makes subtropical gardening quite a big thing here
@@ProjectPlantBack Quite true. It was surprising to see palmetto trees planted as ornamentals as far up as Stoke on Trent!
I imagine you have served in the military here,if not you probably know we do get a lot of american residents here in west suffolk and norfolk due to the usaf airbases at mildenhall and lakenheath,both these towns are set in the heart of the brecklands ,perfect places for airstrips,flat,sandy ground that drain well.
@@bazzatheblue Actually no, my wife’s father is from the UK so I’ve visited several times. Seen a lot of England and as well as some of Scotland and Wales.
Have lived in the North West of England where it rains a lot more than in Hampshire where I grew up. Now living in western Germany where I re-named Dusseldorf "Drizzledorf", it's that bad. No different to the UK, if not worse. Certainly worse than East Anglia.
Interesting and thought provoking video (subscribed).
There is a reason why the UK is not as cold as other countries/regions on the same latitude as the UK and that is in large part due to the Gulf stream (the Atlantic current). The Gulf stream brings warm waters up to the UK from the tropics, slowly releasing heat into the atmosphere/environment, and as such keeping those areas warmer (and wetter in the case of the UK). The Gulf stream also gives us the "Scottish Riviera", where Galloway's climate is warmer than the Scottish average and warmer than North England.
If it wasn't for the Gulf stream, the UK would be a lot colder, potentially have winters like Norway in certain areas.
This also then highlights the complexities inherent in climate change and environment/climate. Such as, although the climate is on average warming due to global emissions, if the Gulf stream for example dhut down, the UK would likely get colder as a result, the opposite of what climate change would indicate from it's average temperature increases. And it's facts like this that confuse people and make some believe it's not real. The climate, ecosystem and environment are incredibly interlinked and extremely complex.
The Gulf Stream is definitely a major factor in keeping the UK’s climate milder than other places at the same latitude, but it's worth noting that it's not the only influence. Other factors, like prevailing westerly winds and the surrounding ocean, also contribute to the UK’s relatively mild winters and cool summers.
As for the Gulf Stream shutting down, it’s a possibility, but not a certainty. Some climate models do suggest that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), of which the Gulf Stream is a part, could slow down due to global warming. However, recent research indicates that a full shutdown is unlikely anytime soon, though a slowdown could still impact weather patterns in Europe. There’s still debate on the timescale and extent of these changes.
So while the idea of a Gulf Stream shutdown sounds alarming, there’s also evidence that it might not fully collapse, which means the UK's climate may not swing as dramatically as some might expect. That said, the overall complexity of the climate system makes predicting regional effects tricky!
Thanks for your comment.
@ProjectPlantBack , that's very true, there are other factors at play that all have varying effects on the UK climate.
I agree it's unlikely to shut down (at least in the near future anyway), however, there is evidence that the AMOC has/may have shut down in the past (e.g between 12,900 and 14,500 years ago). And as temperatures rise, and glaciers and arctic ice melts, there will be a potentially significant impact on the AMOC.
But you are of course correct, the many differing interactions of the sea, AMOC, jet streams, trade winds, solar cycles, etc., all make predictions incredibly difficult in the short and long term. That's not to say good predictions can't be made, it's just that other factors can change things that would then alter predictions.
It's all fascinating stuff
Enjoying this content as an Environmental Science nerd👍
@@antonycharnock2993 thanks for the comment and thanks for watching, I’m a horticultural post grad alongside biochemistry as my background, so I am not an expert in this topic I just happen to enjoy it
I grew up in South Essex, near the Dartford Crossing. The climate there really is semi-arid these days! The climate there does feel like Spain - winter is a few weeks of dull weather around Xmas and that's it! Otherwise it seems warm all year, and baking hot in summer (I live up North now, so it really strikes me when I go there). I have a vague recollection of our geography teacher at school telling us that he only measured around 14" (say 350mm) of rain in the previous year. I think that the heat of the built up London area means that rain falls there, and no much gets across to Essex. Lawns are basically dead from May to September - the lawns in my Mother's house basically gave up and permanently died in one of the heatwaves a few years ago!
It's just because it's further to the east. Built up central London is drier than not very built up green west London. Though the higher temps in London in my opinion makes the grass drier than elsewhere.
@timbounds7190 Parts of Essex are in a rain shadow. The predominant south-westerly weather systems of England mean that clouds dump most of their rain in the hilly west and the rest of the rain goes straight over the top of Essex, as the countryside is so flat.
@@stevebarlow3154 Yes, it was often said locally that where we lived was in a rain shadow. I presume that all the heat and rising air over London causes it to rain there, and by the time it crosses the M25 (with a W/SW wind) it's pretty dry air! There again, when I was a kid, there were lots of cement works in the area, and when it rained all the cars were covered in white dirt washed out of the air! Its pretty shocking how bad pollution was actually!
@@timbounds7190 I was looking at my atlas and apart from whatever effect London had on your weather, you are surrounded by low hills. To the west you have the Chilterns, to the north west you have the East Anglian Heights and to the south you have the North Weald. They are probably the cause of your rain shadow.
@@stevebarlow3154 Well, we were in the Marshes! Anywhere else is hillier! No hills between us and London though - almost a clear view of Canary Wharf from the M25 at Brentwood!
We have a lot of these plants down in Cornwall I have a 10ft trachy
Did you know all of Australia's capital cities receive more annual rainfall than London
So does Paris, marginally.
Adelaide has around 520mm, London has around 585mm.
@@KookieTheDog37 And where I am (Herefordshire) I'm in a rain shadow, so 500mm but lots of sun. But not today 😢
@@KookieTheDog37 ah yes Adelaide the capital of SA. I forgot that one even existed, easy mistake to make. It's not a lot less though.
I used to live in Sydney, which has roughly about twice the rainfall of London. But the way the rain falls is very different. In London you can get a gentle drizzle lasting all day, but in Sydney you often get monsoon like conditions. Where huge amounts of rain may fall, but it will only last half an hour and be sunny the rest of the day.
Great stuff, awesome vid. I was always aware of these microclimates and fluctuations of our isles, having family in the green wet south west, drier, hotter north kent and the strange microclimate of thanet.
Fun fact : there is a tiny 10 hectares desert called " la Mer du Sable " 40 kms or so N of Paris inside the Forest of Montmorency
We live in West Suffolk and I can confirm the weather here is definitely much drier.
Stanton Downham near Thetford was engulfed by sand dunes in the 18th century
I think that I recall that the issue with sandstorms and sand dunes in the area was the reason why the pine forests were planted, I think with a majority of Mediterranean pine species
There has been some issues with top soil erosion in the area around Thetford
Not true, there is a huge arid expanse centered around Westminster.
lmao
Yeah coming from Lowestoft, suffolk here and i can confirm it is drier by alot
@@apierwashere Beautiful part of the U.K.
It always fascinates me how mild the UK climate is. One thing I love is palms, proper palms. In the UK a lot of places confuse Flax or Cordyline Australis with real Palms. Cordyline and Flax love the cold and a trip to New Zealand's South Island will confirm that. Real palms, even Trachycarpus are special and can be found all over the UK. Though I've heard that Scotland has palms in isolated places the furthest north I've seen proper palms were several specimens of Trachycarpus Fortunei in a park in Sunderland in the North East.
I've also seen them in peoples gardens and on roadsides in and around Leeds.
To put into perspective just how mild here in central London I have archontophoenix in the ground. Some also in Cornwall, The isle of Wight and on the south coast in warmer microclimates. We also have the NZ native Nikau palms, thousands on the Isles of Scilly.
We should invest in inflatable mountains that are approximately 6km high and put them in the water to test changing environments
excellent stuff really interesting
Love this
Hi Project Plant Back, thank you form doing this, my first encounter with arid semi-desert in this country was not far from Cambridge where I now live on ordinary arable land that had been taken out of cultivation for about three years, what I observed of a significant area was that the surviving weeds were growing with no overlap of their leaves, this was towards the end of the growing season about the time of 'normal' harvest. This desertification was very clearly the consequence of not only water shortage but also relentless nutrient depletion, in particular the four decades of brutaculture without any input of organic matter which is vital for the retention of water and dissolved nutrients.The approximate date of this discovery was about nineteen eighty something. As it happens that period was one in which while average annual rainfall was about normal the seasonal variations were significant with very low late summer rainfall.
There was little doubt in my mind then or now that the principle reasons for this phenomenon were related to land management not climate.
What I have consistently observed since is that each winter more and n=more arable fields are partially flooded and in many cases shallow water on flat land sits there for several months in spite of the proximity of drainage channels within a few metres. This too is the product of bad management, again the lack of organic matter in the soil restricts drainage, what does happen is that more of the rain runs off the surface into the drainage system and thus deprives the aquifer of its much needed top ups.
Cheers, Richard.
Hi Richard,
Thank you for sharing your observations-it’s fascinating to hear about your firsthand experience with the arid semi-desert near Cambridge. It’s alarming how nutrient depletion and poor land management can transform otherwise productive land in such a relatively short time. Your points about the lack of organic matter and its role in both water retention and nutrient availability are especially relevant today, as we continue to see the long-term impacts of intensive agriculture.
The seasonal rainfall variation you mentioned adds another layer of complexity, especially when combined with the land management issues. It’s striking that even though rainfall averages might seem "normal," the actual distribution across seasons can have such profound effects. I completely agree with your assessment that these changes are largely due to management practices rather than purely climate-related factors.
The flooding issue you’ve observed in the winter months highlights another critical aspect of poor soil health and drainage. It’s concerning that shallow water remains in fields for so long, even when drainage channels are nearby. I hadn’t considered the connection between organic matter deficiency and poor drainage before, but it makes perfect sense. The runoff issues further exacerbating the situation by depriving the aquifer is also something that needs more attention.
Thanks again for this insightful contribution-your experience is a powerful reminder of how vital sustainable land management is for both our agricultural output and environmental resilience.
Cheers!
@@ProjectPlantBack Hi ProjectPlantBack, thank you very much for your excellent response, reading it makes me realise tyhat what I wrote was not only accurate but also quite coherent and sensible, when I produce such material I do not know if any of it will make sense to anyone else, this from you is deeply reassuring!.
To elaborate slightly I feel I should point out that my background and experience is almost entirely practical, I did study horticulture on day release as a teen-ager and had already passed an O-level GCE exam on the strength of the biology that I had learned and understood. The practical application of what I was taught started me on a path of self education based on experience practise and observation that continues to this day although the only work I do now is as a conservation volunteer for the RSPB.
For many years I have been wondering just how and why we as people have been so indifferent to the realities of the natural world, acting as if in some arcane way we are masters of the environment rather than its subjects.
I have a few ideas of course but no definite answers, it does look as if there is more than a little fundamentally defective about human nature!.
Most of what is actually happening appears to be related to the warped financial systems we have invented along with silly ideas about 'ownership' and control but they are only the mechanisms of corruption if there is an underlying problem it does not seem obvious.
Cheers, Richard.
You can make a same kind of video about the differences in rainfall in the Netherlands.
@@DeDoentje For sure
Yet The Hague doesn't invest in waterstorage in Limburg, Achterhoek and Twente areas.
Because water aka Life is the enemy.
The problem is Dutch culture at heart when seeing water, which brings life, as the enemy. It means the Dutch cultivate a deathcult. Body. Bode. Boden. Bodem. Bottom. Serfdom and submales are part of the Dutch problem. What do the Dutch? More serdom. That is exactly why the country is led by leftoids in denial and on it's way to the end of existence.
And the king studied watermanagement. 😂
It's not a desert. Look at southern Italy and Sicily...that is true desert!
Southern Italy isn't that dry. At least compared to Spain at the same latitude.
Raining here today in Norwich but it has been very dry most of August and September.
Which is strange because here in Liverpool, it's rained almost non-stop all summer long
Interesting almost looks like Spain and Portugal type of desert likeness , not dry type but the wet type
This climate chart resembles Norfolk, Virginia on the other side of the big pond
Only places where the average annual precipitation is less than 10 inches (250 mm) can be classified as deserts. There is no such place in England (by a wide margin). Hence, there is no desert in England.
Could be a desert of the mind, of empathy, compassion, or charity, or even intelligence or creativity, but not even remotely an actual desert (in terms of geography). It's up to the readers and viewers which other type of desert they wish to label any part of England.😛
Obviously there are no true deserts in the UK, but Dungeness gets about 20 inches of rain a year and the huge expanse of shingle make it a very arid area and strange place.
The broads dont really drop in water levels like that
much of it is tidal and the upper reaches are supplied by reliable chalk streams and are prevented from draining by the tidal lower reaches leaving us with very reliable water levels
Coastal arid areas always confuse me - all that water so close, and barely any rain?
Hi I live in Norfolk and there are floods all over here
Scouse in the house!
my highstreet is very deserted on a sunday afternoon
Very interesting video. Subscribing.
Thank you very much, do you have any other ideas of what you'd like a video on?
Drizzle registers 0 or rain gauges. I got soaked yesterday,in 0mm of drizzle.
There is a desert in Kent.
Isn't east Anglia reclaimed land? Might partly explain the sandy soil and desert like conditions.
The palm tree look almost photoshopped!
Didn't had that part of England more sea estuaries and floodings in the past?
East Anglia is an interesting region when it comes to climate. Despite being home to several flooded sites, such as the fens and areas prone to coastal flooding, it's actually one of the driest regions in the UK. This is largely due to its geography-it's sheltered from the westerly winds that bring much of the rain to the UK, and being in the southeast, it generally receives less rainfall than areas in the west.
The contradiction of having both flood-prone areas and a relatively dry climate highlights how local geography and human intervention, like drainage systems, play a big role in shaping the environment. It's a reminder that even in drier regions, localized factors can still create flood risks.
The low altitude of the land in certain areas means poor drainage. Dutch engineers were imported in the 17th century to start draining the land (as they had done in the Netherlands)
The big wet area (the Norfolk Broads) was also created by man in the middle ages due to peat digging
It's an area of contradictions, wet but dry
@@philjameson292 Yes I red about that. Major land reclmation. The maps of around 1500 are quite different
You talking about Liverpool? 😅
Isn't Dungeness the only desert in England?
I spoke about that at the end of the video
No it gets too much rain to be a desert.
@@grahamsmith9541 well, proportionally, some regions could be considerated arid for some smaller scale maps, and if everything was only done with the map of this specific region, and ajusted, the region could be the "desert" of that world.
@@claudetheclaudeqc6600 The Met Office debunked the desert theory in 2015. It receives more than 250 millimetres of precipitation per year.
Deserts have large differences between day and night temperatures. With very little rainfall.
Neither criteria apply to Dungeness.
Dungeness is a functional desert due to the extreme drainage of the shingle and inability to hold moisture, though it gets too much rain to be a true desert.
I went to Dungeoness a few years back. What a godforsaken place lol
@@bigbasil1908 is it that bad haha?
Yes. Unless you get excited about nuclear power stations.
@@ProjectPlantBack I went there with a friend. My friend loved it and said he'd love to live there. I felt completely the opposite about the place lol.
There is a certain beauty to the bleakness.
Milton Keynes?
Bit of ironic time to upload the vidoes as just received a shit tun of rain over here in just outside of Norwich 😂
I thought East Anglia was a big swamp 😂
I thought Dungeness was our only desert?
It is a functional desert due to extreme drainage, but not a true desert.
@@LiamE69 Yes same reason people who plant cacti in the uk put them in stony sandy soil helps them do a lot better as it is dries the soil out much faster.
Let me make this video short for you guys:
The country has heaths and coastal sand dunes. You're welcome.
Interesting - I live in Stockholm Sweden and we have an average rainfall of 547 a year... Sweden aint like UK but still pretty dry then?
Yes, 547 mm of annual rainfall is considered relatively low for a temperate climate. Most temperate climates typically receive between 600 mm and 1,500 mm of rainfall per year, depending on the region and proximity to bodies of water. For instance, many temperate regions, particularly those near the coast, tend to have much higher rainfall, while inland areas or regions with rain shadow effects can have lower amounts.
A figure of 547 mm could be more characteristic of semi-arid regions or places on the drier end of the temperate spectrum, such as parts of the Mediterranean or interior plains.
@@ProjectPlantBack Thanks for your detailed reply, cheers!
But can you ride sandworms there?
Love to see northern accents holding up strong 💪 great video. Keep real instead of the fake southern ego accents.
@@JIHN-2451 northern power 😂🙌
So England has a desert?
it might be dry its NOT a desert.
@@toonarmy8524 I know
Where did the narrator's accent and style of speaking originate?
Sounds like Merseyside to me.
@@williamreeve7219 Liverpool, northern England
550mm of rainfall is not a desert. Its not even a semidesert.
@@subjekt5577 which is why I never claimed this rainfall amount was qualifying as a desert
Hi new here not sure if you done a video on it but can you do rare or endangered plants or trees with edible fruits or vegetables or idk root 😂.
I hear cardon cactus Barry’s are good and get bigger then the az cactus 🌵 but also in parts of az cardon live in it.
Yes I definitely got the name wrong I can say it can’t spell it ai can’t figure out what I’m saying and gives me multiple words like dam ai it’s one word work with me 😂.
@@SheriKeenan I could definitely look into that, thank you for the comment!
God's green valley is everywhere with English civilization.
E.A!
Bro u butchered every single word you said. Love the northern accents but it sounds like your faking a scouse accent!
@@yoho... I’m 100% scouse, I was born in Liverpool
what a lot of nonsense
Glad you watched the video then
No it's not, take a visit to Norfolk or Suffolk and find out for yourself
@@philjameson292 I have been to both many times and i stand by what i said. The claim is the usual silly you tube nonsense.
This is BS clickbait
Did you watch the video?
@@ProjectPlantBack There's always one uneducated American? in the comments who can't tell the difference.
I stopped listening as soon as I saw the ridiculous picture of saguero catcus. How do you expect to be taken seriously?
It's a UA-cam video, I'm a horticultural post graduate, I'm allowed to exaggerate...
Such infinite sensitivity.....snowflake
I lived in Essex for nearly 30 years and grew figs, apricots and grapes in my garden
@@philjameson292 I was lost for days and almost died of thirst, but I was rescued by nomads and nursed back to health in their tent then returned to civilisation across the trackless miles of Essex desert.