WEATHER AND CLIMATE
Weather is the Hour-to-hour, day-to-day condition of the atmosphere.
Climate is the weather conditions for a large period and of a large area.
The weather and climate of a place depend on many geographical factors such as
o Height
o Temperature
o Air pressure
o Wind
o Moisture
TEMPERATURE
Temperature: The degree of hotness and coldness of the air is called temperature.
The temperature of the atmosphere changes not only between day and night but also
from season to season,
An important factor that influences the distribution of temperature is insolation.
Insolation is the amount of solar radiation received by an area.
The amount of insolation decreases from the equator towards the poles because
sunlight falls almost vertically on the equator, while it falls at slanting angle on the
poles.
As the amount of insolation decreases , the temperature decreases in the same
manner.
Temperature in cities is much higher than villages because during the day the
concrete and metals in buildings and the asphalt of roads get heated up and this heat is
released during the night. Also the high rise buildings in the cities trap the warm air
thus raising the temperature of the cities.
The standard unit of measuring temperature was invented by Anders Celsius and is
known as degree Celsius.
Temperature is measured in Celsius and Fahrenheit.
Thermometer is used to measure Temperature.
On the Celsius scale the water freezes at 0○ Celsius and boils at 100○C.
AIR PRESSURE/ ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
Air pressure is defined as the pressure exerted by the number of gases present in the
air on the surface of the earth.
We don’t feel the atmospheric pressure because the air present inside our body ( in
lungs, blood vessels , stomach and other organs)exert the same pressure outside from
inside as the atmospheric pressure is applied on our body from outside
Atmospheric pressure decreases as the height increases.
Therefore it is highest at sea level and decreases with height.
Horizontally the distribution of air pressure is influenced by the temperature of
the air at a given place.
At high temperature air gets heated and rises. This creates a low pressure area. Low
pressure is associated with cloudy sky and wet weather.
In low temperature, the air is cold and heavy. Heavy air sinks and therefore creates a
high pressure area. High pressure is associated with clear and sunny sky.
The air always moves from high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas.
On the moon, there is no air therefore no air pressure
Astronauts have to wear spacesuits filled with air whenever they leave a spacecraft
and are exposed to the environment of space. Because in space, there is no air to
breath and no air pressure. If they do not wear these special suits filled with air , the
counter pressure of the body of the astronauts would make the blood vessels burst.
The astronaut would bleed to death. Spacesuits are especially designed to protect
them from cold, radiation and low pressure in space. They also provide air to breathe.
Barometer is used to measure atmospheric pressure.
WIND
Wind: The movement of air from high-pressure areas to the low-pressure area is
called Wind.
A wind is named after the direction from which it blows. E.g. the wind blowing from
the east is called easterly.
Winds can be broadly divided into three types:
o Permanent winds –These blow constantly throughout the year in a particular
direction. They are trade winds known as westerlies and easterlies.
o Seasonal winds – These winds change their direction in different seasons. For
example monsoons in India.
o Local winds – These blow only during a particular period of the day or year in a
small area. E.g. land & sea breeze. Hot & dry local dry wind of northern plain in
India called “Loo”.
On 25 October 1999, cyclonic winds originated as depression and affected Odisha
killing thousands of people.
MOISTURE
When water evaporates from land and other water bodies, it becomes water vapour.
Humidity: Moisture in the air at any time is known as humidity.
When the air is full of water vapour we call it a humid day. As the air gets warmer, its
capacity to hold the water vapour increases and so it becomes more and more humid.
When the water vapour rises, it starts cooling. The water vapour condenses causing
the formation of droplets of water.
When these droplets of water become too heavy to float in the air, they come down as
precipitation.
Precipitation is the falling of moisture in the form of rainfall, snow, fog, sleet and
hailstones.
On the basis of mechanism, there are three types of rainfall:
Convectional Rainfall Orographic (Relief) Cyclonic ( Frontal)
Rainfall Rainfall
Occurs mostly in tropics
where it is hot
The air heats & the lighter When the saturated air mass Cyclonic activity causes
air rises up in convection comes across a mountain, it cyclonic rain and it occurs
currents, now as the air rises is forced to rise. The rising along the fronts of the
it expands and temperature air expands, eventually, the cyclone. When two masses
drops and clouds fall due to temperature falls, and the of air of unlike density,
condensation, rains are moisture gets condensed. temperature, and humidity
accompanied with heavy meet then it is formed.
shower and thunder &
lightning that don’t last
long.
Rainfall is very important for the survival of plants and animals. It brings fresh water to
the surface of earth.
Less rainfall causes water scarcity and drought.
More rainfall causes flood
Rain Gauge is used to measure amount of rainfall in an area.