12. Weather, Seasons of the Year (Počasí, roční období)

The planet Earth moves around the Sun and that has an influence on the weather on the globe and on the seasons of the year. Our country is located in a mild climatic zone. Winters are not too cold, summers not too hot. There are four seasons of the year: spring, summer, autumn (fall in American English) and winter. Each of the seasons lasts about three months and brings us something nice as well as something unpleasant.

It is usually still quite cold in the beginning of the spring. The snow melts, so floods may set in. Trees and grass turn green. Birds are heard singing. Some have just returned from the south. Field works start at this time.

On June 21, the summer begins and lasts up to September 23.This means two months of holiday for children, whereas farmers have their harvest time. The sun shines hot, the highest day temperatures are rising. On hot summer days, there are often storms. What we seeded and planted in the spring in the garden, is harvested in summer. People go mushrooming in the woods.
With the beginning of school in September the real summer comes to the end, although the autumn begins on September 23. In autumn, the sun rises later and sets earlier. During the day, the weather may be nice and sunny – this time is known as Indian summer.

Autumn is popular with many people because of its nice colours. Fruit trees have yellow pears and red apples on them. Grass turns yellow and gets dry. Leaves change colour and birds leave for the south. Days become colder and colder. The air is cold. The wind is often strong. No wonder people often catch a cold or come down with the flu.

After autumn comes winter. According to the calendar, it begins on December 21, but in reality, it comes a lot earlier. December 21 is the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year. Nature relaxes. It freezes, the countryside is covered with snow. The thermometer shows several degrees below zero, and lakes and rivers freeze over. Winter brings us the most beautiful festival of the year – Christmas. But everything comes to an end. It freezes less and less, the spring comes soon and everything makes a fresh start again….

The weather in Britain is very changeable. It is influenced by the warm Gulf Stream. The summers are not very hot and winters are not very cold. The Czech Republic, which is situated in the central Europe, is an inland state with moderate climate. Fortunately in our country there are not many natural disasters – no earthquakes, no tidal waves, no hurricanes. Every spring some areas are flooded but it’s very rarely a serious danger. In other parts of the world there are many disasters: in the USA frequent tornadoes and earthquakes, near the Indian Ocean the huge tidal waves …….

The weather forecast: In the past, there were no weather forecasts, so farmers had to rely on their experience and observations. Today we have weather forecasts – they notice about strong winds, extremely high or low temperatures, bad snow conditions, …… I listen to weather forecast especially if I go on holiday or for a trip. It’s surprising how wrong they often are. There is no guarantee.