When people ask me if Britain has a rainy season, I always answer, 'Yes. It begins in January and ends in December.' That is why people in Britain are always carrying umbrellas. You never know when it might suddenly start to rain.
There is one good thing about having lots of rain: it makes the grass green. Thanks to the rain, the countryside is beautiful. Hiking is a popular hobby, and on the weekend many people drive out from the city to enjoy the country air. Going for a walk in the country is a very English way to spend Sunday afternoon.
But there is one problem with rain: you cannot get a good suntan. In the summer people like to sit on the beach and lie in the sun. This is not always possible in Britain. One minute you are enjoying the sun on your back, the next you are getting wet in the rain. Because of all the rain in Britain, many people prefer to go on holiday abroad.
Slowly the British climate is changing. It is the result of global warming. The earth's temperature is rising every year. Countries that were once cold are now getting warmer. Countries that once had a lot of rain are getting drier.
As Britain gets hotter and drier, it is becoming a more popular place to take a holiday. More and more people are visiting Britain's beaches, especially those in the southwest of England where the temperatures are warmest.
The problem is that the beaches are now getting very crowded. As more tourists come, the sea gets dirtier, too. Recently many surfers have complained that the sea is too dirty for them to swim in. If they swim in the sea, the surfers get ill.
It costs a lot of money to keep the beaches and the sea clean. The tourists who only stay for a week do not pay; it is the people who live near the beaches who have to pay to keep them clean. This makes them angry. They say it is not their fault that the environment is being polluted.
There are other problems caused by global warming. There are now fewer fish in the rivers than there used to be. The water level has dropped because there is not as much rain. The water temperature has risen. The fish cannot live so easily in these new conditions.
As less rain falls, so the grass gets browner. The colour of the British landscape is slowly changing. It is no longer a green and pleasant land, but a brown and dusty place. At least the sunbathers are happy.