Sugandha Bhandari (India)

Hi I am Sugandha Bhandari from India, currently doing my Masters in Corporate Communication at Bournemouth University. I am here to clear up all your myths about the English weather.

The initial shock

I come from a tropical country, so when I first arrived in September to start my masters in Bournemouth, I was literally freezing and everyone around me thought I was crazy to wear so many layers in September. I would think to myself that if it is this cold in September, how would I feel in December and January?!

Let it snow!

As time passed I started adjusting to the cold and to the unpredictable weather in England.  This year, however, for the first time in many years, it snowed in Bournemouth in March! I had never seen snow in my life. Seeing snow for the first time was a magical experience and I will never forget it. I consider myself lucky that I was around in Bournemouth in the exact year that it happened to snow. They called it Beast from the East and it was truly an enchanting Beast indeed!

Time to blossom!

The Beast left as quickly as it came. All the pale white hues of winter were followed by the next season shades of blue and green, and this marked the arrival of Spring in Bournemouth. The beach air effortlessly complemented the lush greenery and clear skies, with hundreds of people heading out to the beach and enjoying Bournemouth’s most popular attraction. The sun stayed with us for much longer than expected, enabling people to stack away their warm clothes for later in the year.

What about this heat, hein?

Then came June and more extreme weather. The heat wave led many to stay indoors and keep hydrated.  It is already mid-July and the sun has kept the rain away for more than 6 weeks! I wonder how long it will last and if we will be asked to ration water in an island known for its rainy weather.

As you can see Bournemouth is home to all kinds of weather conditions. Maybe this was an atypical year and I feel fortunate to have experienced it in this amazing town. I wish you the same luck next year!

Sugandha Bhandari, India, MA in Corporate Communication, 2017/18