There are several main atmospheric conditions, or weather elements.

Wind, temperature, pressure, humidity,

clouds, and precipitation are among them.

WIND

Wind is defined as the movement of air parallel to the Earth's surface. Without the rotation of the Earth, winds
would generally blow from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure, down what is known as the pressure
gradient—a sort of "slope" from high to low pressure. The Coriolis effect, on the other hand, causes winds to
blow almost perpendicular to the prevailing pressure gradient, particularly in the upper atmosphere. Low-level
winds generate more surface friction. This alters the force balance and allows for flow at an angle to the
pressure gradient. Geostrophic winds are the name given to such winds. Lower pressure is to the left of the
Northern Hemisphere, and higher pressure is to the right. In the Southern Hemisphere, the opposite is true.
Westerly winds can reach speeds of over 200 miles (320 kilometers) per hour at altitudes of around 30,000 feet
(9,000 meters).

TEMPERATURE

Temperature variations may also be related to wind direction. Winds from the south usually bring rising
temperatures to the Northern Hemisphere, while winds from the north usually bring falling temperatures. In the
Southern Hemisphere, the opposite is true. Temperatures can vary greatly between night and day under clear
skies, whereas clouds keep the temperature more consistent.

ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
 The importance of atmospheric pressure in weather forecasting is limited. Changes in pressure, on the other
hand, do matter if normal changes are accounted for, such as a drop in pressure during the midday hours.
Falling pressure usually indicates the approach of a storm. Rising pressure signals the arrival or continuation of
good weather.

HUMIDITY

The amount of moisture in the air is referred to as humidity. Water vapor is a gaseous form of water that exists
in the air. Warmer air can hold more vapor than colder air. The saturation value is the maximum amount of
vapor that can be produced at a given temperature. Relative humidity is the ratio of actual water vapor in the air
at a given temperature to the maximum amount possible at that temperature. It can range from almost none over
deserts to as much as 100% in dense fog. Dew point is another useful humidity measurement—the temperature
at which the relative humidity would reach 100% given the current amount of water vapor present. Greater
moisture corresponds to higher dew points.

CLOUDS
 Clouds frequently indicate an impending weather change. Rising cloud levels indicate that the weather is
clearing. Precipitation is indicated by thickening and lowering clouds. Clouds form when water vapor
condenses into tiny but visible droplets or ice crystals after being cooled below its dew point. The level at which
rising air reaches its dew point is indicated by the cloud base. The three major cloud types are high, wispy
cirrus, layered stratus, and massive, billowy cumulus. Clouds are further described by the term alto, which
means "high," and nimbus, which means "rain." In addition to this, a fog is a cloud with its foundation on the
ground. It forms, like clouds, when moist air cools below its dew point. Dew is formed when moist air collides
with a surface, such as grass, that has been cooled below the dew point of the air by nighttime radiation. Frost
forms instead of dew when the temperature falls below freezing.

PRECIPITATION AND STORMS

Condensation occurs when warm, moist air cools to its dew point and there are dust particles or salt crystals to
serve as condensation nuclei. Cooling and condensation may occur when moist air is lifted by the collision of
warm and cold air masses or by movement up a mountain slope. The cloud's tiny water droplets collide and
coalesce into larger droplets. They might eventually become heavy enough to fall to the ground as raindrops.
Moisture may form ice crystals if air is lifted above the freezing level aloft. When ice crystals form in a
supercooled cloud, water vapor condenses on them, forming snow crystals. When a snow crystal falls into
lower, warmer air, it combines with other snow crystals to form a snowflake.
 Thunder and lightning occur when hot, moist air is carried above freezing by a strong updraft in a
cumulonimbus cloud. There are strong winds, heavy rain, and occasionally hail. This is a thunderstorm.
Tropical cyclones, hurricanes, and typhoons are powerful rotating cyclones that produce torrential rains and
winds of 74 miles (119 kilometers) per hour or more. In late summer and early fall, these storms form over
tropical seas. Surface temperatures are at their highest, and tropical air reaches the farthest south of the Equator.
Storms typically track westward, then poleward, transporting large amounts of warm air to high latitudes.
Hurricanes are penetrated by planes to determine their intensity and course.
A tornado is distinguished by a narrow, funnel-shaped trunk that emerges from a dark thundercloud. It can
reach speeds of up to 300 miles per hour (480 kilometers per hour). Tornadoes typically move northeast in the
Northern Hemisphere and southeast in the Southern Hemisphere. Tornadoes are most common in the spring and
early summer.