Come rain, come shine, talking about the weather is what Britons are known for the world over.
And now research suggests Britons spend more than two days a year indulging in their favourite preoccupation.
A survey for the Met Office has found that people in the UK spend on average 56.6 hours – or two days and nearly nine hours – every year discussing the topic.
Three in five people (60 per cent) said the weather was their go-to small-talk subject, and one in five said they would welcome more education on weather patterns and how they affect broader society.
The study was conducted during one of the warmest summers on record so far, including four widespread heatwaves across the UK.
Met Office figures show the UK will this year have one of its hottest summers on record, with both maximum and minimum temperatures significantly above average.
The UK’s mean temperature from 1 June to Sunday 17 August is 16.2C, which is 1.5C above the long-term average for the season.
Coincidentally, 1.5C of global warming is the figure that, if consistent over 20 years, scientists say will trigger catastrophic effects.
Last week, heat health alerts were extended for much of the UK as a hot and sunny weekend loomed.
Much of the country is also under hosepipe bans because of the drought, which has seen the government announce a “nationally significant” water shortage in England. Reservoirs are also at extremely low levels and groundwater is dwindling.
The researchers found that the weather was a more popular subject of discussion than family (26 per cent) and even holidays (24 per cent).
Nearly half of people surveyed (43 per cent) said they often use weather to start conversations, and more than a quarter (28 per cent) talked about it at least once a day.
For most (70 per cent), talking about the weather is an easy way to connect with other people.
Nearly four in five (79 per cent) of those surveyed said they checked the forecast daily.
People recognised that agriculture was the most likely industry to be affected by the weather (91 per cent), followed by construction (87 per cent).
Meteorologist Alex Deakin said the study found people were interested in the inner workings of the weather and how it shaped lives, livelihoods and national identity.
“We at the Met Office know the power of weather intelligence beyond everyday conversation and how innovative weather forecasts play a key role in delivering prosperity and economic growth to the UK,” he said.
The Met Office is launching a campaign aiming to deepen understanding of the power of weather and climate intelligence for national infrastructure, economic growth and “value for government”.
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