Why does rain move east-bound across the UK?

Question

Is it because of the Earth's turning west-bound underneith the rainclouds? Or what?

Answer 1

its actually because the prevailing wind comes from the southwest, which blows rainclouds in a north-easterly direction. next time a weather report comes on, check the direction of the wind and which way the rain is going.

Answer 2

No, it's due to the Coriolis effect. Between the lines of latitude 30N and 60N, high altitude winds blow towards the northeast. So, this forces all weather patterns to travel to the north and east. The blow in different directions at other lines of latitude. It's different for every 30 degrees.

Answer 3

The earth is actually turning east-bound.  You are observing part of the Coriolis effect.  The equator is moving around faster than more northern or southern latitudes (the north pole is not moving at all relative to the earth--it's just turning in circles in place).  So air that rises from all the heat at the equator gets pushed north and south where it's cooler.  But the earth's surface is turning slower there, so the wind keeps some of it's original eastbound momentum, which dominates the wind direction at upper latitudes.  The opposite effect happens to the wind returning to the equator, which causes the west-bound trade winds.

Edit: Well, that's why the wind blows from west to east.  I figured it was pretty obvious that the rain follows the wind, so therefore the rain goes west to east as well.  Don't usually see rain go the opposite way as the wind.  And obviously the wind can blow in any direction based on local effects--it's just the prevailing direction of the wind is caused by the Coriolis effect.

Answer 4

Because of the prevailing wind pattern caused by the rotation of the earth.