Weather And Climate
By
Inyang uffia
Difference Between Weather And Climate
• Weather reflects short-term conditions of the atmosphere while
climate is the average daily weather for an extended period of time
at a certain location.
Weather and climate cont.
•A storm darkens the sky at the mouth of
the Russian River, north of Bodega Bay,
Calif. Weather can change from minute-
to-minute, hour-to-hour, day-to-day, and
season-to-season. Climate, is the
average of weather over time and space.
Weather Instruments
1). Wind direction
Wind direction is measured
with a wind vane
Direction is the compass
point from where
the wind is blowing - south,
north, north-east etc.
The unit of measurement f
or wind direction
is compass direction
Click icon to add picture
2). Wind speed
Wind speed is measured with
an anemometer
The unit of measurement for wind
speed is m/s or km/hr
The anemometer consists of 3 or 4
cups fixed on metal arms that
rotate freely on a 10m vertical shaft
The stronger the wind, the faster
the cups rotate, and more rotations
are recorded on the counter
Precipitation Click icon to add picture
Precipitation is any water that falls to earth - hail,
mist, rain, sleet, or snow
Unit of measure is millimetres (mm)
A rain gauge is used to measure precipitation
At the same time each day, any water that has
collected is poured into the tapered measuring
cylinder
Measuring cylinder needs to be on a flat surface
The water level is then read with the eye at the
same level as the lowest part of
the meniscus of the water
Measurements are then recorded; too small a
reading and it is recorded as 'trace'
Temperature Click icon to add picture
Unit of measurement is Celsius ° C, or
Fahrenheit ° F depending on where you
are in the world
Temperature is measured using a
thermometer or thermograph
Shade temperature is measured, as air
temperature is variable due to
direct insolation and cloud cover
Several types of thermometers can be
used, but the most traditional is a Six's
thermometer, which houses a maximum
and minimum thermometer in a U shape
Humidity Click icon to add picture
Humidity is the amount of water
vapour in a given volume of air
Wet and dry bulb thermometers are
used to measure relative
humidity and are called
a hygrometer
Relative humidity is a measure of
how much water vapour the air is
holding in relation to the maximum
amount of water vapour it could
hold at a specific temperature
Click icon to add picture
Pressure
Air has weight and exerts pressure on the Earth's
surface
Sea level pressure is approximately 1.03 kg/cm²
Pressure varies with altitude and temperature
Unit of measurement is millibars (mb)
Lines of pressure on a map are called isobars
A barometer measures air pressure of which
there are 3 types:
o Mercury barometer
o Aneroid barometer
o A barograph
Sunshine hours Click icon to add picture
The amount of sunshine a place receives is
measured by a Campbell-Stokes sphere
in hours and minutes
The recorder is a glass sphere partly
surrounded by a metal frame
Sunlight is concentrated through the
sphere onto a recording card placed
beneath the focal point
The rays burn a trace on the card
The length of the trace shows the sunshine
duration at that location
At day's end, the card is replaced
Factors Affecting Climate
1. Latitude & Seasons; Imagine Earth like a tilted basketball basking in the sun's spotlight. The closer you
are to the equator (the bulge), the more direct sunlight you get, making it hotter. As you move towards the
poles (the ends), the sun's rays become slanting, spreading out the heat, and making it colder. This is why we
have scorching summers near the equator and chilly winters near the poles.
• 2. Continentality; Oceans act like giant heat sponges. They warm up slowly but hold onto that heat for
longer, like a cozy sweater in winter. Land, on the other hand, heats up quickly but cools down fast, like a
t-shirt on a summer day. So, coastal areas tend to have milder temperatures, while inland areas experience
more extreme heat and cold.
• 3. Altitude; The higher you climb, the cooler it gets! As air rises, it expands and cools down, just like how
a party balloon feels cold when inflated. This is why mountain tops are often snowy, even in summer!
• 4. Prevailing winds : Air Masses on the Move. Think of air masses as giant invisible blankets moving
across the Earth. They carry temperature and moisture, like warm comforters in winter or damp towels in
summer. When air masses meet, they can cause dramatic weather changes, like rain or storms.
• 5. Ocean Currents: Ocean currents are like rivers of warm and cold water flowing through the oceans. The
warm Gulf Stream, for example, brings mild winters to Europe, while the cold Humboldt Current keeps the
west coast of South America cool and dry.
