1 Sep 2017

Why does it always rain in the UK?

Ahh, the great British weather. The subject of almost all small talk on buses, in shops, and at work – and boy do we like to complain about it. Let’s take a look at the science behind why it’s always raining in the UK, and why our weather is so unpredictable…

What causes rain?

It’s all down to the water cycle. Water evaporates from our oceans, rivers, and lakes in the form of water vapour which slowly rises into the atmosphere. At this stage, water is in its gaseous stateWhy it rains

This water vapour continues to rise until it reaches its dew point – this is the atmospheric temperature below which condensation occurs and water droplets begin to form (dew point varies depending on pressure and humidity). At this stage, water returns to its liquid form.

These tiny water droplets collect together as clouds, and eventually, some of those clouds will become too heavy to support their own weight – and this is when rain occurs.

The water cycle refers to this constant process of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation – and it’s vital to all life on earth.

Why Britain gets so much rain

Ocean currents are one of the most important driving forces of climate – you’ll definitely have learned about this at school, and you can refresh your memory here – it’s interesting stuff really!

The Gulf Stream is just one of those ocean currents, transporting relatively warm water from the Gulf of Mexico to the British Isles. Warm water evaporates faster than cool water, and when you consider that the UK is surrounded by sea, it becomes clear why we’re particularly prone to rain…

The UK’s location relative to ocean currents is also why our weather is so unpredictable – cold polar air from the north combined warmer tropic air causes our weather to fluctuate daily, sometimes even hourly!

But it’s not all doom and gloom

The Gulf Stream, combined with North Atlantic Drift, also gives the UK fairly mild winters.

Considering the latitude of the UK (latitude is the angular distance of a location relative to the earth’s equator), our weather should be a lot more hostile in the winter. For example, Edinburgh is at the same latitude as Moscow, yet Moscow is covered in snow all winter, with an average winter temperature of -7.5 degrees!

So next time you’re caught in the rain without a coat, don’t blame it on the weatherman…

Is artificial lawn slippery in the rain?

One of the most asked questions is whether artificial turf is slippery when wet? We told it’s one of the top three factors that make people switch to an artificial lawn. Wonderlawn’s lawns are not slippery when wet. In fact, our lawns provides a safer, more weather-resistant surface than natural grass, because there’s no slippery mud or pooling surface water and as we install the lawn, we can be sure your base work is correct, with the proper drainage.

You can read more on our post here: https://wonderlawn.com/is-artificial-grass-slippery-when-wet/

Can you get synthetic grass wet?

This may seem like a silly question for an outdoors product, but yes you can! Artificial grass is made of UV and weather resistant Polyethylene & Polyurethane which are perfectly fine to get wet and dry quickly in sunlight. You can read more of the bennefits of artificial grass here: https://wonderlawn.com/artificial-grass-the-benefits/

How do you clean astroturf?

You don’t! Well, that’s not strictly true. But if it rains regually, then your lawn is clean. Pick up any leafs or litter that may have landed on the lawn and you’re good! If you like you can hose down the lawn occasionally, and brush it with a stiff brush, but that’s not

Can you install artificial grass on decking?

Again one of the questions we’re often asked is if our lawns can be installed on decking? The short answer is Yes it can. We all know decking can be like an ice rink when wet. Wonderlawn were the first artificial grass company in the UK to use specially shaped grass fibres. This not only makes every blade of turf look like a real lawn, but also gives the turf extra grip and sturdiness, as we found out above, which prevents slipping.

We install a waterproof membrane between your decking and then add a commercial grade drainage pad. This allows the water to drain from your deck safely, adds cushioning and protection.

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