Weather Variables

🌦️ Definition: Weather Variables

Weather variables are the measurable elements of the atmosphere

that describe the current state of the weather at a specific place and
time. These variables are constantly changing due to natural processes
and are used to observe, analyze, and predict weather patterns.

🔑 Main Weather Variables:

1. 🌡️ Temperature – The measure of how hot or cold the air is.

2. 🌬️ Wind – The movement of air from high-pressure to low-

pressure areas.

3. 🧭 Air Pressure – The force exerted by the weight of the air above
a location.

4. 💧 Humidity – The amount of water vapor present in the air.

5. ☁️ Cloud Cover – The amount and type of clouds in the sky.

6. 🌧️ Precipitation – Any form of water (rain, snow, sleet, hail) that

falls from clouds.

7. 🌫️ Visibility – The distance one can see clearly; affected by fog,

rain, or dust.
 8. 🌩️ Weather Conditions – Observable phenomena like storms,
sunshine, fog, or thunder

🌡️ 1. Global Temperature (Air Temperature)

Temperature is a measure of the kinetic energy of air molecules, which

determines how hot or cold the atmosphere feels.

 Global Variation:
Temperatures vary across the globe due to:

o 🌞 Solar radiation — areas near the equator receive more

sunlight, making them warmer than the poles.

o ⛰️ Altitude — higher elevations have thinner air, which

holds less heat.

o 🌊 Oceans — coastal areas are cooler in summer and

warmer in winter due to water’s thermal stability.

o 🌍 Seasons — Earth's tilt causes seasonal variations in

temperature.

 Daily Cycle:

o Daytime: Sunlight heats the ground, warming the air.

o Night: Earth releases heat, cooling the air (especially under

clear skies 🌌).

 Significance:
Temperature affects everything — from human comfort, plant
 growth 🌿, and wildlife 🐾, to weather events like
thunderstorms and snowstorms.

🌬️ 2. Atmospheric Pressure

Atmospheric pressure is the weight of the air exerted on the Earth’s

surface.

 Measured with a barometer (in hPa or mb).

 Decreases with altitude — that’s why it's harder to breathe on

mountains ⛰️.

 Types of Pressure Systems:

o High Pressure (🅷): Air is sinking, leading to clear skies and

dry weather ☀️. Often associated with calm and stable
conditions.

o Low Pressure (🅻): Air is rising, leading to cloud formation

and precipitation ☁️🌧️. Often associated with storms and
unsettled weather.

 Air Movement:
Air naturally moves from high pressure to low pressure, creating
wind 💨.
The greater the pressure difference, the stronger the wind.

🌎 3. Atmospheric Circulation
Atmospheric circulation refers to the global-scale movement of air,
which helps redistribute heat from the equator to the poles.

 Driven by:

o 🌞 Unequal solar heating

o 🌍 Earth’s rotation (Coriolis effect)

o Pressure differences

 Three Main Circulation Cells:

1. Hadley Cell (0°–30°):

Warm air rises near the equator, causing rainforests ☔. It cools and
sinks around 30°, creating deserts 🌵.

2. Ferrel Cell (30°–60°):

A mix of warm and cold air creates changing weather in mid-latitudes
🌦️.

3. Polar Cell (60°–90°):

Cold air sinks at the poles 🧭 and moves towards mid-latitudes.

 Major Wind Belts:

o Trade Winds 🌬️: Steady winds near the equator, blowing

east to west.

o Westerlies 🍃: Prevailing winds in mid-latitudes, moving

west to east.

o Polar Easterlies ❄️: Cold winds from the poles.

  Jet Streams ✈️:
Narrow bands of strong winds in the upper troposphere,
influencing the movement of storms and pressure systems.

🌧️ 4. Precipitation

Precipitation is any form of water that falls from the atmosphere to the
ground.

 Types of Precipitation:

o Rain 🌧️: Liquid water droplets

o Snow ❄️: Ice crystals

o Sleet 🌨️: Frozen rain drops

o Hail 🌩️: Balls of ice formed in thunderstorms

 How It Forms:

1. Warm, moist air rises.

2. Air cools as it rises, and water vapor condenses into clouds ☁️.

3. When cloud droplets become too heavy, they fall as precipitation.

 Factors Affecting Precipitation:

o Humidity levels 💧

o Temperature 🌡️

o Air pressure 🌬️
 o Geography (e.g., orographic lifting on mountain slopes
causes rain on windward sides and dry conditions on
leeward sides)

💧 5. Humidity

Humidity refers to the amount of water vapor in the air.

 Types:

o Absolute Humidity: Total water vapor in a volume of air.

o Relative Humidity (%RH): Amount of moisture in the air

compared to how much it can hold at that temperature.

 Warm air holds more moisture than cold air — this is why
summer feels stickier 🌞💦.

 Effects:

o High humidity → Makes it feel hotter 🌡️ and promotes cloud

and storm formation.

o Low humidity → Dry skin, cracked lips, and increased risk of

fire 🔥.

 Dew Point: The temperature at which air becomes saturated, and

water vapor condenses into dew or fog 🌫️.

🌦️ 6. Weather Variations
Weather variations are the short-term changes in atmospheric
conditions that we observe daily.

 Caused by:

o Movement of pressure systems 🅷🅻

o Shifts in wind patterns 🌬️

o Changes in temperature, humidity, or precipitation 🌡️💧

 Examples:

o A sunny morning turning into a stormy afternoon ⛅➡️🌩️

o A sudden drop in temperature due to a cold front ❄️

o Quick rain showers from passing clouds 🌧️

 Weather is localized and temporary, unlike climate, which is the

average of weather over a long tim

🌦️ Causes of Weather Variations

Weather varies from hour to hour and day to day because of several
dynamic natural factors. These changes can be sudden or gradual, and
they result from the complex interaction of atmospheric elements:

🌞 1. Solar Radiation (Sunlight)

 The sun is the primary energy source that drives weather.

 Areas that receive more sunlight heat up faster, causing air to rise,
which can lead to cloud formation and precipitation ☁️🌧️.
  Differences in heating between land and water, or between the
equator and poles, create temperature and pressure differences.

☀️ More sunlight = more heat = more active weather

🌘 Less sunlight = cooler air = calmer conditions

🧭 2. Air Pressure Differences

 Weather changes are strongly influenced by high (🅷) and low (🅻)
pressure systems.

 Air moves from high to low pressure, creating wind 💨 and

triggering the development of clouds or storms.

 A low-pressure system often brings unstable weather, while a

high-pressure system brings calm and clear skies.

⬇️ Pressure = rising air = clouds & rain

⬆️ Pressure = sinking air = clear skies

🌬️ 3. Wind and Air Mass Movement

 Air masses (large bodies of air with uniform temperature and

humidity) move from one region to another.

 When a cold air mass meets a warm air mass, a front forms —
which can cause storms, rain, or snow ❄️⛈️.

 Jet streams in the upper atmosphere also push weather systems

around the globe ✈️.
💧 4. Humidity and Water Vapor

 The amount of moisture in the air plays a big role in weather

changes.

 High humidity can cause fog, dew, or precipitation, while low

humidity leads to dry, clear conditions.

 When warm, moist air rises, it cools and condenses into clouds,
often resulting in rain or thunderstorms 🌩️.

🌊 5. Proximity to Water Bodies

 Oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers moderate temperature and

influence local weather.

 Coastal areas often have milder, more stable weather compared

to inland areas due to the slow heating and cooling of water.

 Sea breezes and lake-effect snow are examples of weather

influenced by water bodies 🌬️🌊❄️.

⛰️ 6. Topography (Landforms)

 Mountains and valleys affect how air moves and weather forms:

o Air forced to rise over mountains cools and drops moisture

(rain on the windward side).
 o The other side (leeward) stays dry, creating a rain shadow
desert 🏜️.

 Valleys often trap cold air, leading to frost or fog.

🌍 7. Earth’s Rotation and Coriolis Effect

 Earth’s rotation causes the Coriolis effect, which makes winds and
ocean currents curve.

 This affects how storms spin (e.g., cyclones spin counterclockwise

in the Northern Hemisphere 🌪️).

 It also influences global wind belts and weather movement across

continents.

🔄 8. Weather Fronts

 A weather front is a boundary between two air masses of

different temperatures and humidity.

o Cold front = fast weather changes, often storms ⛈️

o Warm front = gradual warming, light rain 🌦️

o Occluded front = complex, can bring mixed weather

o Stationary front = lingering rain or clouds for days ☁️☔

🌫️ 9. Human Activities (Urban Heat, Pollution)

  Urban areas trap more heat due to concrete and buildings —
creating urban heat islands 🌇.

 Pollution can affect weather by:

o Trapping heat (greenhouse gases) 🔥

o Causing acid rain ☠️

o Increasing cloud formation due to particles (aerosols) in the

air

🧭 Summary (Quick Recap)

Cause Effect on Weather

Heats Earth, drives air movement & cloud

🌞 Sunlight
formation

🧭 Pressure
Creates wind and affects rain/cloud patterns
Differences

🌬️ Wind & Air Bring new weather conditions (warm/cold,

Masses wet/dry)

💧 Humidity Influences precipitation and fog

🌊 Water Bodies Moderate climate, increase rain near coasts

⛰️ Topography Creates rain shadows, affects wind patterns

🌍 Earth's Rotation Alters wind direction and storm rotation

Cause Effect on Weather

🔄 Weather Fronts Cause sudden changes like storms or rainfall

🌫️ Human Activities Modify local weather, contribute to warming