Click to edit Master title style
2.4 Weather
1
Key objectives
Click to edit Master title style
You should be able to:
• Describe how weather data are collected
• Make calculations using information from weather
instruments
• Use and interpret graphs and other diagrams
showing weather and climate data.
2 2
Key Definition
Click to edit Master title style
• Isohyet - A line on a map which joins areas of equal
rainfall.
• Weather - Weather is the day-to-day condition of the
atmosphere at a particular place and time.
• Climate - Climate is the average weather conditions of a
place over a long period of time, usually 30 years or more.
3 3
Measuring
Click thetitle
to edit Master weather
style
Stevenson screen
• A Stevenson screen is a wooden box standing on four legs at a
height of about 120 cm.
• The screen is raised so that air temperature can be measured.
• The sides of the box are slatted to allow air to enter freely.
• The roof is usually made of double boarding to prevent the
Sun's heat from reaching the inside of the screen. Insulation is
further improved by painting the outside of the screen white to
reflect much of the Sun's energy.
• The screen is usually placed on a grass-covered surface,
thereby reducing the radiation of heat from the ground.
4 4
Measuring
Click thetitle
to edit Master weather
style
Stevenson screen
• Instruments kept inside the Stevenson screen include a
maximum-minimum thermometer and a wet- and dry-
bulb thermometer (also called a hygrometer).
5 5
Measuring
Click thetitle
to edit Master weather
style
Rain gauge
• A rain gauge is used to measure rainfall.
• It consists of a cylindrical container, in which there is
a collecting can containing a glass or plastic jar, and
a funnel that fits on to the top of the container.
• It is important to check the rain gauge every day,
preferably at the same time.
6 6
Measuring
Click thetitle
to edit Master weather
style
Maximum-minimum
thermometer
Maximum thermometer
• When the temperature rises, the mercury expands and pushes the
index along the tube. When the temperature falls, the mercury
contracts and the index remains behind.
• The maximum temperature is obtained by reading the scale at the
base of the index, which was in contact with the mercury. The index is
then drawn back to the mercury by a magnet.
7 7
Measuring
Click thetitle
to edit Master weather
style
Maximum-minimum
thermometer
Minimum thermometer
• When the temperature falls, the alcohol contracts and its meniscus pulls the
index along the tube. When the temperature rises, the alcohol expands.
• The daily readings of maximum-minimum thermometers are used to work
out the average or mean temperature for one day (called the mean daily
temperature) and the temperature range for one day (called the daily or
diurnal temperature range).
• To find the mean daily temperature, the maximum and minimum
temperatures for one day are added together and then halved.
For example: (maximum temperature 35 °C + minimum temperature 25 °C) ÷
2 = mean daily temperature 30 °C. 8 8
Measuring
Click thetitle
to edit Master weather
style
Wet- and dry-bulb
thermometer (hygrometer)
Wet- and dry-bulb thermometers are used to measure relative humidity.
The dry-bulb is a glass thermometer which records the actual air temperature.
The wet-bulb is a similar thermometer, but with the bulb enclosed in a muslin
bag which dips into a bottle of water.
This thermometer measures the wet-bulb temperature which, unless the
relative humidity is close to 100 per cent, is generally lower than the dry-bulb
temperature.
9 9
Measuring
Click thetitle
to edit Master weather
style
Sunshine recorder
The number of hours and minutes of
sunshine received at a place can be
measured and recorded by a sunshine
recorder
1010
Measuring
Click thetitle
to edit Master weather
style
Barometer
A mercury barometer consists of a hollow tube from which
the air is extracted before the open end is placed in a bath
of mercury. Mercury is forced up the tube by the pressure
of the atmosphere on the mercury in the bath.
When the pressure of the mercury in the tube balances the
pressure of the air on the exposed mercury, the mercury in
the tube stops rising. The height of the column of mercury
changes as air pressure changes (i.e. it rises when air
pressure increases and falls when air pressure
decreases).
1111
Measuring
Click thetitle
to edit Master weather
style
Anemometer
An anemometer is used to measure wind speed. It
consists of three or four metal cups fixed to metal arms
that rotate freely on a vertical shaft.
When there is a wind, the cups rotate. The stronger the
wind, the faster is the rotation. The number of rotations is
recorded on a meter to give the speed of the wind in km/hr.
1212
Measuring
Click thetitle
to edit Master weather
style
Wind vane
A wind vane is used to indicate wind direction. It consists of a horizontal
rotating arm pivoted on a vertical shaft. The rotating arm has a tail at one
end and a pointer at the other.
When the wind blows, the arm swings until the pointer faces the wind. The
directions north, east, south and west are marked on arms that are rigidly
fixed to the shaft.
Digital instruments
Digital instruments can be used for weather observations. The main
advantage is that they give a reliable reading whereas other methods are
more subjective. 1313
Cloud
Click cover
to edit Master title style
• Cloud cover is measured in oktas
(eighths). This is made by a visual
assessment of how much of the sky is
covered by cloud.
• If the sky is completely covered with
clouds it has 8/8 cloud cover.
1414
Types
Click ofMaster
to edit Clouds
title style
Clouds are classified mainly by their height and appearance.
• High clouds (above 6,000 m) – Composed
of ice crystals .
– Cirrus (Ci): Thin, feathery clouds; usually
indicate fair weather but may signal a change.
– Cirrostratus (Cs): Thin, milky layer causing
halos around the sun or moon.
– Cirrocumulus (Cc): Small, white ripples or
grains; often called “mackerel sky”.
1515
Types
Click ofMaster
to edit Clouds
title style
Clouds are classified mainly by their height and appearance.
• Middle clouds (2,000–6,000 m) –
Composed of mixture of ice crystals
and water droplets
– Altostratus (As): Grey or bluish sheet
covering the sky; brings widespread rain.
– Altocumulus (Ac): Rounded white or
grey patches; often seen before
thunderstorms.
1616
Types
Click ofMaster
to edit Clouds
title style
Clouds are classified mainly by their height and appearance.
• Low clouds (below 2,000 m) –
Composed of ice crystals
– Stratus (St): Low, grey cloud layer;
causes dull, overcast weather.
– Stratocumulus (Sc): Low, lumpy clouds
with breaks; usually dry.
– Nimbostratus (Ns): Thick, dark clouds
giving continuous rain or snow.
1717
Types
Click ofMaster
to edit Clouds
title style
Clouds are classified mainly by their height and appearance.
• Vertical clouds
– Cumulus (Cu): White, fluffy clouds with
flat bases; fair weather clouds.
– Cumulonimbus (Cb): Tall, towering
clouds; bring heavy rain, thunderstorms,
lightning, and hail.
1818
Climate
Click to edit graphs
Master title style
Climate graphs tell us a great deal about
the pattern of temperature and rainfall.
They are often used to show annual
variations or sometimes variations over a
few weeks.
1919
Climate
Click to edit graphs
Master title style
The mean monthly average temperature
occurs between the mean monthly
maximum and the mean monthly minimum.
(The mean monthly maximum is the
average of all the maximum temperatures
for each day of the month. The mean
monthly minimum is the average of all of
the minimum temperatures recorded for
each day in a month.)
2020
Climate
Click to edit graphs
Master title style
Rainfall is normally shown as a bar chart. Different scales are used - in this case
temperature is shown on the left-hand side and rainfall on the right-hand side.
2121