Weather and Climate
Activities
Weather and Climate
Unit 3
1. What is the weather like in the British Isles? In pairs, ask questions and answer about each city shown in the map. What is the weather like in Manchester?
Weather and Climate
It’s partly cloudy.
• Aberdeen
2. Write a definition for each of the following:
What is weather? The weather describes the condition of the atmosphere in a given location over a short period of time, for example, from day to day or week to week. The weather includes daily changes in precipitation, humidity, air temperature, air pressure and wind conditions. The atmosphere is constantly changing: in a very short time, it can be hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Meteorologists are scientists who record the weather every day. Weather stations collect data and computers process it. Then this data is analysed by meteorologists, who make predictions or forecasts about the weather.
sunny
partly cloudy
cloudy
raining
snowing
stormy
1. season –
2. climate – .
3. meteorologist –
• Glasgow • Belfast
• Manchester
• Cardiff
• London
3. Mark Twain said: “Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get.” Explain the meaning of this sentence in your own words.
How does the weather change throughout the year? Weather changes during the year in cycles. These cycles are called seasons. There are four seasons: summer, autumn, winter and spring. In Spain, summer is hot and dry with isolated thunderstorms. Autumn is cool, and often wet and windy. Winter is cold and often dry. Spring is a warm, wet season.
W orking W ith the W eb
What is climate? The constant recording of weather information helps to determine the climate of an area. Climate is the condition of the atmosphere over a long period of time. This includes average weather conditions based on data recorded over 40 years. Climate tells us what the weather is usually like in a certain place. So, for example, we say that the climate in Spain is moderate and Mediterranean.
Weather and climate are influenced by the following main factors:
SUN
At the equator, the sun shines directly onto Earth.
What will the weather be like tomorrow?
Highest temperature
Lowest temperature
Humidity
Paris, France Distance from the sea: Areas closer to the sea have a milder climate. This means that the temperature does not vary very much. Coastal areas have an oceanic climate, whereas inland areas have a continental climate with a large range of temperatures. In the summer, it can be very hot and dry in the centre of continents. However, coastal areas receive more precipitation because air masses there contain more water than air coming over land.
London, UK Madrid, Spain Cairo, Egypt Moscow, Russia New Delhi, India Beijing, China Website suggestions at www.burlingtonbooks.es/social1
Unit 3
Altitude above sea level: Climatic conditions become colder as altitude increases. The higher the place, the colder it is (0.6ºC for every 100 m of altitude). Higher areas tend to receive more rainfall, too. Air masses have to rise over mountains – as they rise they get colder and water condenses, forming precipitation. North Pole
o to the web and find weather forecasts for the major cities in the table below. Then complete G the table. Cities
What factors influence weather and climate? Latitude: The angular distance of any point on Earth, north or south of the equator, influences weather and climate. The sun shines directly onto Earth at the equator. The North and South Poles receive less light from the sun. Therefore, the further away you go from the equator, the colder it gets.
Equator
At the Poles, the sun’s rays shine over a wider area.
18
South Pole
19
Elements of Weather and Climate
Activities
What are the different weather elements?
1. Complete the following fact files about six of the weather elements.
Temperature: How hot or cold the atmosphere is. Temperature is measured by using a thermometer. Temperature is usually measured in degrees Celsius (°C). Degrees Fahrenheit (°F) are used by meteorologists in the USA.
Air pressure: The weight of the air in the atmosphere. A low pressure area, or depression, is formed when warm air rises. A high pressure area, or anticyclone, is formed when cool air falls. Anticyclones bring dry barometer weather and depressions cause Vacuum wet weather. Air pressure is also called barometric pressure because it is measured with a Mercury barometer and is expressed in millibars. The widely used Air mercury barometer works Pressure by balancing the weight of mercury in a glass tube against the weight of air in the atmosphere. Cloud cover: The portion of sky covered by clouds, measured in units called oktas. Each okta represents an eighth of the sky covered. So, 0 okta is clear and 8 oktas is overcast. We use a cloud mirror with a grid divided into 16 equal squares to measure cloud cover.
Element: precipitation
2
Instrument: rain gauge Unit: millimetres
4 Humidity: The amount of water vapour in the air. We can measure humidity as relative humidity, which is expressed as a percentage. A relative humidity of 100% means that the water vapour of the air is the maximum possible. With low humidity, evaporation is quicker. Our sweat evaporates quickly on our skin and wet things dry easily. When relative humidity is high, we feel sticky and hot because our body sweat cannot evaporate easily. Hygrometers are the instruments used for measuring humidity.
5
3
Element:
Instrument:
Instrument:
Unit:
Unit:
Element:
6
Element:
Instrument:
Instrument:
Instrument:
Unit:
Unit:
Unit:
2. Tick (3) the sentences T (true) or F (false). Then correct the false sentences.
1. Air pressure is also called atmospheric pressure.
T
3. Low pressure areas form when the air mass gets warmer.
F
2. Water vapour condenses to form clouds.
Visibility: How far we can see. The sky can be clear, misty or foggy. Visibility is measured at weather stations with reference to a number of known landmarks at different places. Wind: The horizontal movement of air from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. There are hot winds that blow from tropical areas, while winds blowing from polar areas bring cold weather. Winds that cross oceans cause precipitation, while winds blowing over land are dry. Wind speed is measured using an anemometer, an instrument with three or four small hemispheres placed so that they catch the wind and revolve about a vertical rod. The revolutions of the cups are recorded to calculate the wind velocity in km/h. Wind direction is measured by a wind vane, a pivoting arrow that points in the direction the wind is blowing from.
Element:
Element:
4. Snow and rain have a similar origin.
5. When relative humidity is high, wet clothes dry quickly.
W orking W ith the W eb
Go to the web to learn about clouds. Then answer the questions below. 1. What are clouds? 2. Why are clouds white? 3. How do clouds move? 4. What is fog? 5. Clouds are categorised into three main groups. What are these groups called? Website suggestions at www.burlingtonbooks.es/social1
Unit 3
Precipitation: Water falling from the atmosphere. This includes rain, snow and hail. Rain results when water in the atmosphere cools until it reaches saturation, and water vapour condenses to form the tiny droplets of water that form clouds. When the raindrops are heavy enough, they fall as rain. Snow is formed in a rain gauge similar way, except that water vapour freezes into crystals of ice as it falls. Precipitation is measured using a rain gauge. Most rain gauges measure the precipitation in millimetres.
1
Sunshine: The amount of sunlight detected at a given point. A Campbell Stokes Recorder measures sunshine in hours and minutes. anemometer
20
wind vane
21
Climate Zones
Activities
Why are there different types of natural scenery all over the world? The answer is climate. The world has several climate zones defined by the climate conditions that exist in each region. This classification is based on two main climatic variables: the average annual temperature and the total annual precipitation. Climate graphs show the annual temperatures on a curve and the rainfall in a series of bars for all the months of the year.
1. Which area in Spain has mild summers?
1. W arm climates are located between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. They have high temperatures throughout the year. Equatorial Climate • Singapore • The equatorial climate is located near the equator. This area is hot mm 300 (average temperature 27°C) and humid all year long. There is about 250 2,000 mm total rainfall. These hot and wet conditions are perfect for 200 the tropical rainforest, which has dense and diversified vegetation. 150
• The desert climate has hot temperatures and it is dry all year. There are large temperature differences between day and night. Precipitation is very rare (
Weather and Climate
Unit 3
1. What is the weather like in the British Isles? In pairs, ask questions and answer about each city shown in the map. What is the weather like in Manchester?
Weather and Climate
It’s partly cloudy.
• Aberdeen
2. Write a definition for each of the following:
What is weather? The weather describes the condition of the atmosphere in a given location over a short period of time, for example, from day to day or week to week. The weather includes daily changes in precipitation, humidity, air temperature, air pressure and wind conditions. The atmosphere is constantly changing: in a very short time, it can be hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Meteorologists are scientists who record the weather every day. Weather stations collect data and computers process it. Then this data is analysed by meteorologists, who make predictions or forecasts about the weather.
sunny
partly cloudy
cloudy
raining
snowing
stormy
1. season –
2. climate – .
3. meteorologist –
• Glasgow • Belfast
• Manchester
• Cardiff
• London
3. Mark Twain said: “Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get.” Explain the meaning of this sentence in your own words.
How does the weather change throughout the year? Weather changes during the year in cycles. These cycles are called seasons. There are four seasons: summer, autumn, winter and spring. In Spain, summer is hot and dry with isolated thunderstorms. Autumn is cool, and often wet and windy. Winter is cold and often dry. Spring is a warm, wet season.
W orking W ith the W eb
What is climate? The constant recording of weather information helps to determine the climate of an area. Climate is the condition of the atmosphere over a long period of time. This includes average weather conditions based on data recorded over 40 years. Climate tells us what the weather is usually like in a certain place. So, for example, we say that the climate in Spain is moderate and Mediterranean.
Weather and climate are influenced by the following main factors:
SUN
At the equator, the sun shines directly onto Earth.
What will the weather be like tomorrow?
Highest temperature
Lowest temperature
Humidity
Paris, France Distance from the sea: Areas closer to the sea have a milder climate. This means that the temperature does not vary very much. Coastal areas have an oceanic climate, whereas inland areas have a continental climate with a large range of temperatures. In the summer, it can be very hot and dry in the centre of continents. However, coastal areas receive more precipitation because air masses there contain more water than air coming over land.
London, UK Madrid, Spain Cairo, Egypt Moscow, Russia New Delhi, India Beijing, China Website suggestions at www.burlingtonbooks.es/social1
Unit 3
Altitude above sea level: Climatic conditions become colder as altitude increases. The higher the place, the colder it is (0.6ºC for every 100 m of altitude). Higher areas tend to receive more rainfall, too. Air masses have to rise over mountains – as they rise they get colder and water condenses, forming precipitation. North Pole
o to the web and find weather forecasts for the major cities in the table below. Then complete G the table. Cities
What factors influence weather and climate? Latitude: The angular distance of any point on Earth, north or south of the equator, influences weather and climate. The sun shines directly onto Earth at the equator. The North and South Poles receive less light from the sun. Therefore, the further away you go from the equator, the colder it gets.
Equator
At the Poles, the sun’s rays shine over a wider area.
18
South Pole
19
Elements of Weather and Climate
Activities
What are the different weather elements?
1. Complete the following fact files about six of the weather elements.
Temperature: How hot or cold the atmosphere is. Temperature is measured by using a thermometer. Temperature is usually measured in degrees Celsius (°C). Degrees Fahrenheit (°F) are used by meteorologists in the USA.
Air pressure: The weight of the air in the atmosphere. A low pressure area, or depression, is formed when warm air rises. A high pressure area, or anticyclone, is formed when cool air falls. Anticyclones bring dry barometer weather and depressions cause Vacuum wet weather. Air pressure is also called barometric pressure because it is measured with a Mercury barometer and is expressed in millibars. The widely used Air mercury barometer works Pressure by balancing the weight of mercury in a glass tube against the weight of air in the atmosphere. Cloud cover: The portion of sky covered by clouds, measured in units called oktas. Each okta represents an eighth of the sky covered. So, 0 okta is clear and 8 oktas is overcast. We use a cloud mirror with a grid divided into 16 equal squares to measure cloud cover.
Element: precipitation
2
Instrument: rain gauge Unit: millimetres
4 Humidity: The amount of water vapour in the air. We can measure humidity as relative humidity, which is expressed as a percentage. A relative humidity of 100% means that the water vapour of the air is the maximum possible. With low humidity, evaporation is quicker. Our sweat evaporates quickly on our skin and wet things dry easily. When relative humidity is high, we feel sticky and hot because our body sweat cannot evaporate easily. Hygrometers are the instruments used for measuring humidity.
5
3
Element:
Instrument:
Instrument:
Unit:
Unit:
Element:
6
Element:
Instrument:
Instrument:
Instrument:
Unit:
Unit:
Unit:
2. Tick (3) the sentences T (true) or F (false). Then correct the false sentences.
1. Air pressure is also called atmospheric pressure.
T
3. Low pressure areas form when the air mass gets warmer.
F
2. Water vapour condenses to form clouds.
Visibility: How far we can see. The sky can be clear, misty or foggy. Visibility is measured at weather stations with reference to a number of known landmarks at different places. Wind: The horizontal movement of air from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. There are hot winds that blow from tropical areas, while winds blowing from polar areas bring cold weather. Winds that cross oceans cause precipitation, while winds blowing over land are dry. Wind speed is measured using an anemometer, an instrument with three or four small hemispheres placed so that they catch the wind and revolve about a vertical rod. The revolutions of the cups are recorded to calculate the wind velocity in km/h. Wind direction is measured by a wind vane, a pivoting arrow that points in the direction the wind is blowing from.
Element:
Element:
4. Snow and rain have a similar origin.
5. When relative humidity is high, wet clothes dry quickly.
W orking W ith the W eb
Go to the web to learn about clouds. Then answer the questions below. 1. What are clouds? 2. Why are clouds white? 3. How do clouds move? 4. What is fog? 5. Clouds are categorised into three main groups. What are these groups called? Website suggestions at www.burlingtonbooks.es/social1
Unit 3
Precipitation: Water falling from the atmosphere. This includes rain, snow and hail. Rain results when water in the atmosphere cools until it reaches saturation, and water vapour condenses to form the tiny droplets of water that form clouds. When the raindrops are heavy enough, they fall as rain. Snow is formed in a rain gauge similar way, except that water vapour freezes into crystals of ice as it falls. Precipitation is measured using a rain gauge. Most rain gauges measure the precipitation in millimetres.
1
Sunshine: The amount of sunlight detected at a given point. A Campbell Stokes Recorder measures sunshine in hours and minutes. anemometer
20
wind vane
21
Climate Zones
Activities
Why are there different types of natural scenery all over the world? The answer is climate. The world has several climate zones defined by the climate conditions that exist in each region. This classification is based on two main climatic variables: the average annual temperature and the total annual precipitation. Climate graphs show the annual temperatures on a curve and the rainfall in a series of bars for all the months of the year.
1. Which area in Spain has mild summers?
1. W arm climates are located between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. They have high temperatures throughout the year. Equatorial Climate • Singapore • The equatorial climate is located near the equator. This area is hot mm 300 (average temperature 27°C) and humid all year long. There is about 250 2,000 mm total rainfall. These hot and wet conditions are perfect for 200 the tropical rainforest, which has dense and diversified vegetation. 150
• The desert climate has hot temperatures and it is dry all year. There are large temperature differences between day and night. Precipitation is very rare (
