weather and climate

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 for
wind direction is compass
direction

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

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

•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

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

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:

oMercury barometer

oAneroid barometer

oA barograph

Sunshine hours

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.