Nice Weather for the Time of Year: The British Obsession with the Weather 1

Abstract

The British are notorious for their casual interest in the weather. Indeed, a parody of a national stereotype of the British is a portrayal of a person who is very reserved, yet who can happily chat about the weather with strangers. In this chapter, the author examine in detail what British people talk about when they talk about the weather. The interest in severe winter weather peaked before Christmas: in addition to the interest in severe weather, there was a secondary obsession with having a 'traditional' White Christmas. In spring and summer the obsession with severe weather is manifested by speculation about a prolonged, hot summer with record-breaking temperatures; the pattern is similar, but interest in severe winters is more pronounced. The observation that people try to discover the weather associated with particular events suggests that the weather provides a metacognitive role in organizing memories, in that weather events can provide a framework for searching and dating memories.