Bristol - The Cloudy City

[yookay]

Could someone please with qualified knowledge of climate explain why Bristol is always cloudy? This isn't a recent climatic change. I've lived here for many years and it's the same every frustrating summer. Thank you!

[Andy Bown]

You could start with the proximity of the Bristol Channel and Atlantic Ocean!

[reef]

Last summer had nearly 120% of normal sunshine in Bristol and this June just gone was 110% of average.

 

If anything, as the decades have gone on most places in the UK have got slightly sunnier.

 

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/averages/maps/uk/6190_1km/Sunshine_Average_1961-1990_17.gif

 

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/averages/maps/uk/7100_1km/Sunshine_Average_1971-2000_17.gif

 

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/averages/maps/uk/8110_1km/Sunshine_Average_1981-2010_17.gif

 

At the end of the day being on the eastern edge of a large ocean at 52N is never going to be a reliably sunny place, but its still one of the better areas of the UK for sunshine totals.

Edited July 3, 2014 by reef
Had a daft moment!

[PeteG]

At the end of the day being on the western edge of a large ocean at 52N is never going to be a reliably sunny place, but its still one of the better areas of the UK for sunshine totals.

Unless my compass has gone totally awry aren't we on the eastern edge of a large ocean?

[gary1365]

yea eastern edge lol somebodies mixed they're bearings up

[AderynCoch]

Actually coastal areas usually receive more sunshine than inland areas.

[reef]

Unless my compass has gone totally awry aren't we on the eastern edge of a large ocean?

 

Indeed

[Wildswimmer Pete]

Sunshine recorders record the total sunshine received at a given location.  Unfortunately during recent summers most sunshine has occurred in the small hours while many if not most folk are still in bed.  By breakfast (8-9am) the grey lid has already slammed down, while the cloud melts away in the evening leading to another cold night.

 

That's why our subjective impression of daily sunshine doesn't tally with official sunshine stats.

 

Where I live we have the same problems as Bristol, the same maritime location, and exposure to prevailing westerlies coming in across the Atlantic (or in my case, the Irish Sea).

Edited July 3, 2014 by Wildswimmer Pete