Weather & Climate
Geography: KS3, topic 5.1.1
Weather and Climate
Many people mix up what is weather and what is climate.
Weather
- Weather is the state of the atmosphere at one particular place at one particular time.
- The weather can change suddenly.
- Weather expressions are things like:
- "It's raining cats and dogs!"
- "It's a scorcher today!"
Climate
- Climate is the state of the atmosphere over many years or over a large area.
- It is the 'average' of the weather.
- Examples of different types of climate on Earth include:
- Desert climates.
- Polar climates.
- Tropical rainforest climates.
How does the weather affect us?
- The weather affects us if it is too cold, wet or dry for an event to take place or for us to do something.
- Heavy rain can stop some sporting events, such as cricket.
- Gale force winds can affect transportation, with roads being closed and ferries cancelled.
How does the climate affect us?
- Climate tends to have more long-term effects than weather.
- The effects of climate include:
- Agriculture, certain plants will grow in specific climates.
- Settlement, if there is no rainfall somewhere life cannot survive.
Test yourself on Weather & Climate
Which of the following is NOT an example of climate?