WEATHER AND CLIMATE

WEATHER AND CLIMATE

•The difference between climate and weather is usefully summarized by the popular phrase
“Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get.”
• Weather and climate are meteorological terms that are related but not interchangeable.
• Over historical time spans there are several nearly constant variables that determine climate,
including latitude, altitude, proportion of land to water, and proximity to oceans and mountains.
•The density and type of vegetation coverage affects solar heat absorption, water retention, and
rainfall on a regional level.
•Alterations in the quantity of atmospheric greenhouse gases determines the amount of solar
energy retained by the planet, leading to global warming or global cooling.
•The variables which determine climate are numerous and the interaction are complex
•While weather defines the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time for example,
a day or week, it is climate that defines the conditions of the atmosphere over longer periods like
an entire year or decade.
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WEATHER
• Weather is the state of the atmosphere, or the sequence of the states of the atmosphere at any
given time.
• It is the short-term variations of the atmosphere in terms of temperature, pressure, wind,
moisture, cloudiness, precipitation and visibility.
• Weather is highly variable.
• It is constantly changing, sometimes from hour to hour and at times from day to day.
• “Weather is the behavior of the lower atmosphere which effects the land and oceans and have an
influence of the organisms which live within them.”
• Weather is the mix of events that happen each day in our atmosphere including temperature,
rainfall and humidity.
• Weather is not the same. Perhaps it is dry and sunny today and next day it is cloudy and raining.
• Everyday, weather events are recorded and predicted by meteorologists worldwide.
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CLIMATE
• Climate (from Ancient Greek klima, meaning inclination) is commonly defined as the weather
averaged over a long period of time.
• The standard averaging period is 30 years, but other periods may be used depending on the
purpose.
• Climate also includes statistics other than the average, such as the magnitudes of day-to-day or
year-to-year variations.
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) glossary definition: Climate is defined
as the "average weather," or more rigorously, as the statistical description in terms of the mean
and variability of relevant quantities of weather over a period of time.
• The classical period is 30 years, as defined by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
• These quantities are most often surface variables such as temperature, precipitation, and wind.
• The climate in a particular part of the world will influence its vegetation and wildlife, so is
fundamental to life on Earth.
 WEATHER AND CLIMATE
Climate refers to what is expected to happen in the atmosphere rather than the actual conditions. It is possible for the
weather to be different from that suggested by the climate.
WEATHER
Weather includes sunshine, rain, cloud cover, winds, hail, snow, sleet, freezing rain, floods, ice storms, thunderstorms,
steady rain from a cold front or warm front, excessive heat, heat waves and more
Measured for short term
Weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere, and it is short-term(minutes to weeks) variations.
Measured by Collecting statistical data.
Study is known as Meteorology
CLIMATE
Climate may include precipitation, temperature, humidity, sunshine, wind velocity, phenomena such as fog, frost, and
hailstorms over a long period of time.
Measured over a long period of time
Climate is defined as statistical weather and describes the variation of weather at a given place for a specific interval.
Measured by Collection of aggregate of weather statistics over a period of 30 years
Study is known as Climatology
 WEATHER AND CLIMATE
ELEMENTS AND CONTROLS OF WEATHER AND CLIMATE
When studying weather or climate, the elements and controls of each are interchangeable.
ELEMENTS
1. Temperature
2. Solar radiation
3. Air pressure
4. Humidity
5. Precipitation
6. Winds
CONTROLS
7. Latitudes
8. Altitude
9. Mountains barriers/Relief
10. Ocean currents
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ELEMENTS OF WEATHER AND CLIMATE
• Weather affects us in many ways. It affects what we do and what we wear, how we travel and even our moods.
• Meteorologists measure weather conditions in different places and use this information to report and make
forecasts about future weather conditions.
• This is useful because people can be warned about hazardous weather conditions such as storms and floods.
• The conditions of the atmosphere at any time or place is expressed by a combination of several elements
primarily:-
Temperature:-
• Temperature shows how hot or cold a body is.
• Temperature is the intensity that is, as to how hot or cold the atmosphere is, how many degrees
Celsius(centigrade).
• Temperature is a very important factor in determining the weather, because it influences or controls other
elements of the weather, such as precipitation, humidity, clouds and atmospheric pressure
• It is measured in Celsius (°C) using a thermometer. The thermometers can be placed in a Stevenson
Screen to make sure that the temperature is taken in a shady environment.
• This is a wooden box with slatted sides, a sloping roof and legs to keep the screen off the ground. It is painted
white to reflect the sun
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Solar radiation:-
• Solar radiation is probably the most important element of climate.
• Solar radiation first and foremost heats the Earth's surface which in turn determines the
temperature of the air above.
• The receipt of solar radiation drives evaporation, so long as there is water available.
• Heating of the air determines its stability, which affects cloud development and precipitation.
• Unequal heating of the Earth's surface creates pressure gradients that result in wind.
• •All the characteristics of climate can be traced back to the receipt of solar radiation
 WEATHER AND CLIMATE
Air pressure:-
•Air pressure is the weight of air resting on the earth's surface.
•Air has specific weight. Air is light but because there is so much of it above us, it exerts a
pressure on us
•This weight exerted by the air is atmospheric pressure.
•Atmospheric pressure is defined as the force per unit area exerted against a surface by the weight
of air above that surface in the Earth's atmosphere.
•It is used primarily by meteorologists to monitor developing storms that can seem to come out of
nowhere.
• Atmospheric pressure is measured by a barometer. The units used are millibars.
• The greater the reading, the higher the pressure. Normal pressure is 1000mb with a reading
above this being regarded as high pressure and a reading below is regarded as low pressure.
MERCURY BAROMETER
 WEATHER AND CLIMATE
Precipitation
• Precipitation is the term given to moisture that falls from the air to the ground.
• Precipitation includes snow, hail, sleet, drizzle, fog, mist and rain.
• Precipitation is simply any water form that falls to the Earth from overhead cloud formations.
• As an element of weather, precipitation determines whether outdoor activities are suitable or if the water
levels of creeks and rivers will rise.
• As an element of climate, precipitation is a long-term, predictable factor of a region's makeup.
• For instance, a desert may experience a storm (weather) though it remains a typically dry area
• It is measured using a rain gauge.
• The rain gauge is usually anchored in the ground with the top of the gauge around 30cm above the
ground surface to ensure that rain splash does not affect the results.
• The depth of the rain in millimeters can be read from the side of the container
RAIN GAUGE
 WEATHER AND CLIMATE
Winds :-
• The horizontal movement of the atmosphere is called wind.
• Wind can be felt only when it is in motion.
• Wind is the result of the horizontal differences in the air pressure.
• Wind is simply the movement of air from high pressure to low pressure
• The speed of the wind is determined by the difference between the high and low
pressure.
• The greater the difference the faster the wind speed.
• The wind brings with it the temperature of the area it is coming from, therefore a high
pressure in a warm region will make the temperature in the low-pressure area higher.
• As the wind speed increases air is moving more quickly and therefore removes warm
air therefore making it seem colder than the actual temperature.
 WEATHER AND CLIMATE
• Wind speed can be measured using an anemometer. The anemometer should be held at
arm’s length, above the head so that the cups can rotate without any interference.
• The strength of the wind is measured in knots
• Wind direction is reported by the direction it is blowing from, according to the
compass.
• Wind blowing from the west is travelling eastwards so is called a westerly wind, not an
easterly wind.
• Wind direction is often observed using a wind vane.
ANEMOMETER AND WIND VANE
 WEATHER AND CLIMATE
Humidity:-
• Atmospheric moisture is the most important element of the atmosphere which modifies the air
temperature.
• Humidity is the measurable amount of moisture in the air.
• There are three types of humidity:- a) Absolute humidity:- The total amount of water vapor present
in per volume of air at a definite temperature b) Relative humidity:- Is the ratio of the water vapors
present in air having a definite volume at a specific temperature compared to the maximum water
vapors that the air can hold without condensing at that given temperature. c) Specific humidity:- Is
defined as the mass of water vapor in grams contained in a kilogram of air and it represents the actual
quantity of moisture present in a definite air
•The humidity element of weather makes the day feel hotter and can be used to predict coming
storms.
•The humidity element of climate is the prolonged moisture level of an area that can affect entire
ecosystems and sustenance of life.
•For instance, tropical jungles can sustain different forms of life than dry, arid climates because of the
overall humidity from rainfall and other factors.
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CONTROLS OF WEATHER AND CLIMATE
Climatic controls are those factors of the atmosphere that causes different weathers and climates over
the surface of the Earth:-
Latitude
• Latitude is the distance of a location from the equator.
• The hottest temperatures on Earth are found near the equator.
• This is because the sun shines directly on it for more hours during the year than anywhere else.
• As you move further away from the equator towards the poles, less sun is received during the year
and the temperature become colder.
•Latitude is the angular measurement in degrees of the distance from the equator to any location on
the Earth.
•Depending on the latitude of a location determines the amount of sunlight that a location receives.
•The higher your latitude the less sunlight you will receive throughout the year, and the cooler will be
your climate.
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Altitude
• Altitude is the difference in the vertical height of the atmosphere.
• Altitude is the height you are at above sea level.
• Altitude controls temperature and pressure.
• The higher up you are the lower the temperature will be.
• The temperature decreases with altitude and this temperature phenomena is known as the Lapse
Rate.
• This is because air that is at higher altitudes is less dense than it is at lower altitudes and air
temperature depends on its density.
• The normal lapse rate is 6.5°C per km.
• Pressure also decreases at higher altitudes
• The rate of decrease of pressure with altitude is not constant.
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Mountains barriers/Relief:-
• Topography affects climate in a variety of ways.
• The orientation of mountains to the prevailing wind affects precipitation.
• Windward slopes, those facing into the wind, experience more precipitation due to upliftment of the air.
• Leeward sides of mountains have less winds and are in the rain shadow and thus receive less
precipitation.
• Air temperatures are affected by slope and orientation as slopes facing into the Sun will be warmer than
those facing away.
• Temperature also decreases as one moves toward higher elevations.
• Mountains can often act as barriers, diverting wind and moisture, effecting the climate in the areas
around it.
• The side of a mountain facing the wind will have a climate very different from that of the other side of
the mountain.
• With rainfall being blocked by vast mountain ranges, some areas become deserts.
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Ocean currents
• Ocean currents greatly affect the temperature and precipitation of a climate.
• Those climates bordering cold currents tend to be drier as the cold ocean water helps stabilize
the air and do not favor cloud formation and precipitation.
• Air traveling over cold ocean currents lose energy to the water and thus moderate the
temperature of nearby coastal locations.
• Air masses traveling over warm ocean currents promote instability and precipitation.
•The warm ocean currents raise the temperature of the nearby coastal regions which brings
rainfall.
•The cold ocean currents lower down the temperatures of the adjacent coastal areas.
•Currents are driven by the prevailing winds passing over the surface of the ocean.
•Therefore, winds blowing from tropical areas bring warm currents and vice versa.