How does latitude influence UK temperature and rainfall patterns?

• A. Latitude generally leads to warmer temperatures at higher latitudes.
• B. Rainfall is influenced by air masses only and not weather systems.
• C. Latitude generally leads to cooler temperatures at higher latitudes.
• D. Latitude has no effect on rainfall.

Answer: (C)

As latitude increases, the sun’s rays hit the Earth at a lower angle, so the energy is spread over a larger area and passes through more atmosphere. That makes temperatures fall with higher latitude. In the UK, this means the north tends to be cooler than the south, and winters are generally chillier the further north you go, even though the maritime influence from the Atlantic keeps things milder than in more continental regions.

Rainfall in the UK is shaped by air masses and weather systems moving across the country, and latitude helps determine how these systems behave regionally—west is often wetter than east due to prevailing westerlies bringing moist Atlantic air. So while latitude is mainly about temperature here, it also helps influence rainfall patterns, rather than having no effect.