Learning the Weather in the UK
How the sky shaped my first month abroad.
Live in a new country for a month, and its weather starts to feel like a personality.
That’s the first thing the UK is teaching me.
The weather here
Today marks my first month in the UK, and I’ve noticed a few things I wouldn’t have truly known until I was here.
Growing up in Hong Kong, surrounded by British influence and a few British friends, I thought I already understood this culture. But it’s only now, being here, that I truly feel it.
It reminds me why I don’t just like travelling. I wanted to live in another country, to understand the world better, and to become more ingrained in it.
The first thing that stands out to me is the weather.
Here, you need to understand the weather almost like a person, and learn how to interact with it.
In my first two weeks here, my mood was constantly at the mercy of the sky.
March was still cold, humid, and wildly unpredictable.
And when I say “unpredictable,” I don’t just mean four seasons in one day.
Sometimes, it all happens within an hour. One minute it’s cold and windy. Next, hail starts falling. You stand there, half amazed and half confused, watching ice drop from the sky… and ten minutes later, everything clears into a perfect blue, with soft white clouds drifting overhead as if nothing ever happened.
In Hong Kong, that blue sky would signal the end. The rain is over, the weather has made its decision, and the rest of the day settles into calm.
But here, blue sky means nothing. It’s not a conclusion. It’s just an intermission. The same chaos, or something entirely new, may return within the hour.
I’ve had moments where I got dressed, ready to go out, and waited patiently for the rain to pass. When the sun finally appeared, I reached for the doorknob, took a deep breath, and smiled at the sunlight…
Only to check the weather app and see: rain and strong winds arriving in 13 minutes, lasting 28. (Yes, the weather forecast here is that descriptive — and that dramatic.)
That’s usually when I change back into my indoor clothes and give up on going out.
After a few days of this, I completely lost the desire to step outside. For almost a week and a half, I barely even went for a walk. It already takes a certain kind of courage to step into a new world. Paired with this unpredictable, almost moody weather, it felt even harder.
My friends in Hong Kong laughed and said that if UK weather had an MBTI type, it would definitely be a “P” — flexible, spontaneous, and completely uncommitted.
A walk to the River Trent
Then one day in early April, I went on a long walk to the River Trent in Nottingham. The weather was lovely when I set out. I enjoyed the warm sun, the wide flat landscape, the grass, and the little houses scattered in the distance. But on my way back, it felt as if a curtain were being drawn behind me, slowly covering the sun.
I turned around.
A huge rain cloud was rolling in.
The sky was suddenly half blue and half grey. I was out in the open, with barely any cover, and still 20 minutes from home. Then I spotted an industrial‑looking building about 40 seconds away, and I started running toward it as the wind and rain began to hit my face.
Like a soldier running for his life through a rain of flying arrows.
Halfway there, they caught me.
By the time I reached the building, I was soaked.
Luckily, it was open. I walked inside and found a seat.
Ten minutes later, the blue sky returned, and I resumed my walk home.
That afternoon reminded me that I can be brave, but also a little naïve about the weather here.
In Hong Kong, I love taking long, random walks. In other countries I’ve visited, I’ve always loved wandering too. My assumption was always simple: if it’s sunny, it will stay sunny.
But the UK has taught me something different.
Learning the wind
Just like the wind.
The wind here is not just strong — it’s aggressive. Like an invisible eagle swooping down to slap your face with its wings. Or like a stampede rushing past without warning.
Typhoons in Hong Kong now feel almost gentle in comparison.
These days, whenever I speak to my friends, the first thing that comes out of my mouth is either:
“Oh my god, the weather is making me so gloomy. I don’t want to go out or do anything.”
Or:
“Wow, it’s so nice today. I’m going to cut this Zoom call short and run outside.”
I’m learning, though. Layering has become essential: a T‑shirt, a sweater, and a raincoat to trap warmth and shield against sudden rain.
Why not an umbrella?
I tried. My sturdy folding umbrella didn’t stand a chance — it twisted and surrendered the moment I opened it against the rain and wind.
Now I understand why Paddington Bear wears a raincoat.
And why the Burberry trench coat lives so vividly in my mind as a symbol of British style.
And most importantly, I cannot laugh again at the joke that British people never stop talking about the weather. Because now I understand that it’s not merely an awkward conversation starter.
It’s a necessity.
By the way, the weather this week is so wonderful.
Welcome to the UK😌