“Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get.” – Mark Twain

Here in the UK, the months of January and February were always the coldest months. But lately you cannot predict what kind of weather we will have one week to another. The change of the seasons are not as predictable as they used to be. 

Is it climate change I ask? It must be with the British Isles bombarded with so many storms one after another this year already – one named storm is rare, but three in a space of a couple of weeks is unheard of. We in the UK, take it all in our stride.. we are used to the uncertainty of weather – rain one day and bright another. My mum, when she visited me from India, used to find it very strange and my sister always asks me how I can live with such dreary wet days sometimes weeks on end. But I have grown to accept it. Just have to carry a brolly and a jacket with you all the time – never know when you might need it!

Now we have had the warmest days ever recorded in January. Our weather here in the British Isles is dominated by the Jet Stream. The Jet stream is a fast moving current of air that flows around the glob at high altitudes.  When it is strong and over the British Isles, it draws warm air and sometimes full of moisture from the Atlantic and the equator but when it sways below the UK, it sucks arctic cold air from the north bringing freezing temperatures to the islands. This Jet stream has caused chaos to our islands with its erratic behaviour these past couple of months bringing such unsettled weather.

All that wet weather means these islands are always green and lush – one of the attractions of this British Isles. It doesn’t bother me at all, I only worry about the wee birds and the wildlife who usually end up being casualties especially during breeding seasons.

With climate change, we have to expect this kind of uncertain weather patterns affecting us and learn to live with it. It is the responsibility of each and everyone of us, to make sure that we do our bit to help the planet to cope and reverse the damage done.