by Sun Meilan

Created on: October 20, 2009   Last Updated: July 07, 2011

Few people who know even the slightest thing about the UK would consider coming here for a beach holiday. There are beautiful days of sunshine, but they are difficult to plan for and, one day of sunshine can easily be followed by cloudy skies and a downpour the next. Nevertheless, tourists do come to the UK in their droves and there are undoubtedly periods in the year that are more likely to be pleasant than the next.

The good news is that the UK has a temperate climate, which means there is relatively little fluctuation in temperatures during the year. That is not to say that there aren't proper seasons, because they are, but winters are rarely below zero, at least in the day, and if the temperature soars above 30 degrees celsius in the summer, we party! There are occasionally extremes, but they are few and far between. Rain is a constant throughout the seasons though - it is just as likely to rain on a cold day in December as it is on a warm day in July.

The most important thing to consider is what type of holiday you are planning in the UK. If you are planning to visit friends and family and stay largely in cities, then the weather may be largely irrelevant and you could come at any time of the year. However, if you are planning a lot of outdoor activities, then it is best to avoid winter, unless you are planning to enjoy winter sports of course. The rest of the year, provided that you have plenty of warmish clothes - the ability to layer is the way to go - and a raincoat and decent footwear, then you should be fine. You are unlikely to avoid rain completely, but hopefully it will be pleasant some of the time.

Another point to consider is where exactly you are planning to visit. Although the UK is an island (at least England, Scotland and Wales are part of the island - Northern Ireland is obviously attached to the Irish mainland), there are variations in temperature. The South of England is likely to be considerably warmer than the North of Scotland, sometimes by as much as 10 degrees; therefore whereas winter in the South can be very mild, winter in Scotland could be extremely chilly and not everyone's cup of tea.

It is difficult to pinpoint the best times of year to visit the UK. Each year is different, and, unless you are prepared to book your holiday with just a couple of days' notice, then you are really going to have to take pot luck. However, there are a couple of times when the weather is generally good, and, even if it isn't, the British scenery

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