Hi, my name is Patrycja, I’m a Polish student currently studying BA (Hons) Computer Animation Art and Design at BU.

How is the weather in Bournemouth different to Poland?

A few people I have met have said that the weather in Poland is quite similar to the UK, but personally I think there are some differences. For me, the temperatures here in Bournemouth are less extreme, and they change less abruptly. In Poland, one day you can have a 30 degree day, and the next day the temperature will have dropped to 16. Due to this, Poland has a lot more storms, thunder and lightning. I find the weather here in Bournemouth less varied, and the temperature is quite consistent throughout the year. It gets a little colder in the winter and a little warmer in summer, but it never gets extremely hot or extremely cold.

Another strange thing that I have noticed is that 20 degrees in Bournemouth seems much warmer than in Poland. When it gets to 20 degrees here, people go sunbathing at the beach and it is really warm when it’s sunny (I got sunburned, so I know what I’m talking about!) In Poland, when the temperature hits 20 degrees, you will still need a jacket or at least a hoodie.

Is it always raining in the UK?

This is definitely not true! People might disagree with me, but most of the time Bournemouth is very sunny and beautiful. When it rains, it rains heavily, but Bournemouth is probably one of the sunniest towns in the UK, so the weather is really nice most of the time.

Snow – chaos and panic time

English people go really crazy when it snows. It doesn’t happen very often, so British people aren’t very prepared for it. When there is only an inch of snow, some schools might get closed, buses might stop running and you’ll get a lot of emails with warnings. I personally find it funny because in Poland there is lots of snow in the winter and no one finds it weird at all. I love snow, and I always have a lot of fun with my friends throwing each other in the snow and organising snowball fights. What I find interesting is that English people don’t panic at all in extreme winds or heavy rain. These things happen here often, and Brits are just so indifferent to that. The wind could be blowing you away and they won’t notice, but a few snowflakes and everyone goes crazy and posts lots of pictures on Instagram!

Beach, gardens and palm trees

The climate in Bournemouth is lovely for plants, so there’s lots of greenery. There is also something really cool, and that’s the fact that palm trees grow here. You can even find them somewhere unexpectedly, like between two pine trees.

Bournemouth is a seaside town so a lot of outdoor activities are centred around the beach. The sea is not very warm but it’s still amazing to just live by the sea and go for a walk on the beach or just sit with friends and have a barbeque. There are also beautiful public gardens in town where you can meet some squirrels and sit on the grass. There are many events taking place there, from yoga classes to concerts and festivals, so everyone will be able to find something to enjoy outside in Bournemouth.