Impact of Weather & Climate on the Coast (Edexcel GCSE Geography A)

Seasonality means changes in the environment, including precipitation, temperature and day length

The UK has four seasons

• Each season has particular dominant characteristics

The changes in the seasons have different impacts on coastal erosion

Lower temperatures in winter may lead to an increase in freeze-thaw weathering

Increased mass movement may occur due to higher rainfall levels in winter

Storm frequency is high in some parts of the UK

Storms bring strong winds and high rainfall levels

• Strong winds increase the power of the waves, leading to more erosion

• High rainfall levels lead to saturation of the cliffs and mass movement

Coastal landforms can be changed dramatically by storms

The higher the frequency and greater the strength of the storms, the more change is likely to occur

At the start of 2022, there were five significant storms in three weeks

The storms in January and February 2022 led to:

• Spurn Head, the spit on the Holderness coast, lost over 1 metre of land

• Over 3 metres of sand being eroded from the sand dunes on Formby Beach, Merseyside

The prevailing winds in the UK are from the south-west

• The winds bring warm, moist air, which leads to frequent rainfall

The frequent rainfall increases the:

• Rate of weathering 

• Risk of mass movement