Weather and Climate

Explain the difference between weather and climate

Weather is what is happening right now outside but climate is the average temperature and rainfall over 30 years so if it is raining outside the climate might say it should be sunny

How does latitude affect climate

If you are closer to the equator it will be hotter this is because the sun will be overhead. The angle of the sun changes with the time of the year that is why summer is hotter than winter.

How does altitude affect climate

The higher you are the colder it gets. The temperature drops 1 degree every 150 metres.

How does distance from the sea affect climate

Land warms up and cools than quicker than water so places more inland are hotter than places closer to the sea.

How does wind direction affect climate

Wind from the north brings cold air to the British Isles and wind from the south brings warmer air. The prevailing wind in Britain is from the south-west bringing warm moist air from the Atlantic ocean.

Explain the factors that create microclimates

Ground surfaces like tarmac warm up faster than natural surfaces like grass. Shelter like walls and buildings feel warmer and get less rain. Aspect is where the place faces so places that face north will be cooler in the UK than south-facing places. Buildings can change wind speed and direction buildings absorb heat and give it off later.

Draw a diagram of relief rainfall

Draw a diagram of frontal rainfall

Draw an image of convectional rainfall

Polar Maritime air mass

It comes from the North-West and brings cold and wet air which causes showery weather

Tropical Maritime air mass

It is the prevailing wind coming from the South-West it brings warm moist air which causes cloudy weather

Artic Maritime air mass

It comes from the North and brings wet cold air which causes snow in the winter.

Polar Maritime air mass

It comes from the North-East and brings hot air in the summer and cold air in the winter which causes snowy winters and dry summers.

Tropical Continental air mass

It comes from the South-East and brings hot dry air which causes hot weather in the summer.

What do climate graphs show

They show the average rainfall and temperature in a particular area. The temperature is shown on a line graph and the rainfall is shown on a bar graph.

What do you need to point out when describing a climate graph

The highest and the lowest of temperature and rainfall and which month (include units Celsius or millimetre.)