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There are a number of factors that affect temperature:
Latitude
Altitude
Distance from the sea
Ocean currents
Prevailing wind direction
Latitude
The temperature rises as you get closer to the Equator, and falls as you get closer to the poles. This is because the Sun's rays have further to travel to get to the poles. For this reason, the south of Britain is warmer than the north.
Altitude
The height of the land (the altitude) affects the temperature. The temperature falls approximately 1 degree Celsius for every 150 m you ascend (climb).Â
Distance from the Sea
During the summer, the further inland you go, the warmer it gets: during the winter, the opposite is true.
The sea is very deep, so it takes a long time to heat up, but once it is warm it takes a long time to cool down (think of it being like a lasagne that takes a long time to cook, and then a long time to cool down).
The land is quick to heat up, but cools down quickly too (it is like cheese on toast that just gets grilled on top and is quick to cook but cools down very quickly once you leave it on the table).
Ocean Currents
In the UK, the North Atlantic Drift, or Gulf Stream, means that the west side of the country is warmer than the east side. The Gulf Stream is an ocean current which affects Western Europe, increasing the temperature by several degrees in winter. It makes Britain warmer in winter than other places at the same latitude of 50-60 degrees north. It reduces frosts and keeps waterways and ports in Western Scotland ice free.
Prevailing Wind Direction
In the UK, the wind blows from the south-west for 80 per cent of the time. This is a warm wind. When the wind blows from the south it is a warm/hot win from Northern Africa. When the wind blows from the north it is a cold wind.
Jet streams affect our weather conditions. A jet stream is a strong flowing ribbon of air high up in the atmosphere; it can blow at 160 km per hour. Depending on its position it can bring warmer, colder, wetter or windier weather. It can push depressions (weather systems that bring wind and rain) towards the British Isles. The storms of 2007, 2012 and the winter of 2013-14 were caused by a jet stream that normally tracks north of the British Isles shifting south and pushing depressions over the British Isles.
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