Chapter 3

Weather and Climate

3.1. Definition of Weather and Climate

Weather is a daily atmospheric conditions of a place at a particular time. Weather is
a condition of atmosphere of a place for short period of time.
Climate is an average conditions of weather of a place.
Climate is a condition of atmosphere of a place f or long period of time.

Elements of Weather

1. Temperature
2. Humidity precipitation
3. Precipitation
4. Atmospheric pressure
5. Wind
6. Sunshine
7. Cloud cover

3.2. Weather Station

Weather station- place where observation, measuring and recording of weather
elements are done.
Factors to Be Taken When Sitting a Weather Station

1. An open place where there is little obstruction of weather elements.

2. Accessible place so that recording can be done easily.
3. A fairly level or gently sloping ground
4. The place should provide a wide view of the surrounding landscape and the sky.
5. The site should be free from flooding.
6. The place should have security.
Instruments for Measuring Elements of Weather

1. Maximum and minimum Thermometers are instruments used to measure

maximum and minimum temperatures
2. Hygrometer is an instrument used to measure the humidity
3. Rain gauge is an instrument used to measure amount of rainfall
4. Barometer is an instrument used to measure the air pressure
5. Compbel stoke Sunshine recorder is an instrument used to measure the
sunshine duration and intensity
6. Wind vane is an instrument used to measure the direction of winds
7. Anemometer is an instrument used to measure wind speed
8. Evaparometer is an instrument used to measure the rate and amount of
evaporation.
The Stevenson Screen

Stevenson Screen is a white wooden box mounted on 4 legs used to house

thermometers and hygrometers. The instruments which are found in it are:
1. Maximum thermometer
2. Minimum thermometer
3. Six’s thermometer
4. hygrometer-wet bulb and dry bulb thermometers
Importance
1. Provide shade conditions for accurate temperature recording.
2. Ensure safety of thermometers because they are delicate.
Qualifications Which Make Stevenson Screen Suitable For Its Work

1. Painted white for little absorption or reflect most of solar heat energy.
2. Made of wood which is a bad conductor of heat.
3. It has louvres or slatted sides making it well ventilated to allow easier flow of
air inside it.
4. It four legs because they raised to prevent contact with terrestrial radiation.
5. Has double roof which acts as an insulator to prevent direct heating from the
sun.
6. It has metallic legs because they can withstand the termites’ eating and
destruction.

Weather Forecasting

-Prediction of the conditions of the atmosphere for a given place for a certain
period.

3.3. Measuring, Recording and Calculating Weather Conditions

Temperature

Temperature-degree of hotness or coldness of an object or a place.

It’s measured using 2 types of thermometers namely:

1. Maximum thermometer
2. Minimum thermometer
It’s used to measure the highest temperature reached in a day.
It uses mercury.

It’s used to record the lowest temperature reached in a day.

It uses alcohol.
Calculating Temperature

1) Diurnal/daily Temperature range

-Difference between the maximum and minimum temperature s for any one day.
2) Mean Daily Temperature
- Average of the maximum and the minimum daily temperatures.
3) Mean Monthly temperature
- Sum of mean daily temperatures in a month divided by the number of days in
that month.
4) Mean Annual Temperature
- Sum of mean monthly temperatures divided by 12.
5) Mean Annual Temperature Range
- Difference between the highest and the lowest mean monthly temperatures in
a year.

Examples
A) If temperatures recorded during a day are 10˚c, 18˚c, 21˚c, 25˚c and 28˚c.
i. Calculate mean daily temperature for that day?
ii. Daily temperature for that day?

Answer
max+min 28˚c+10˚c
i. Mean Daily temp: 2 : : 19 ˚c
2
ii. Daily temperature range: max-min: 28˚c-10˚c: 18 ˚c
B) Daily mean temperatures in June/2018 at Burtinle are as below.
Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
16˚c 20˚c 22˚c 23˚c 21˚c 20˚c 24˚c
18˚c 19˚c 20˚c 20˚c 18˚c 19˚c 23˚c
24˚c 18˚c 19˚c 20˚c 17˚c 22˚c 21˚c
16˚c 17˚c 20˚c 23˚c 16˚c 18˚c 20˚c
21˚c 23˚c

i. Calculate mean monthly temperature for the month of June?

ii. State the least average day in June/2018?
iii. Name the most average day?
 ANSWER
𝑠𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝐷𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠 598 ˚c
I. Mean Monthly temp: : : 19.9˚c= 20˚c
𝑁𝑜.𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑡ℎ 30
II. the least average day is Wednesday
III. The most average day is Friday?
C) Mean monthly temperatures in Bosaso during year 2018 are in below table.
Months Jan Feb Mar Arl May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
M.M.Temp 24˚c 27˚c 33˚c 38˚c 38˚c 37˚c 35˚c 38˚c 40˚c 36˚c 26˚c 25˚c

I. State the total annual temperatures in Bosaso?

II. Calculate mean Annual temperature for that year?
III. Which is the hottest month in 2018 at Bosaso town?
IV. Name the coldest Month in the year at Bosaso town?
V. Calculate the annual Temperature range
Answers
I. Total annual temperature is 397˚c
sum of M.Monthly temp 397˚c
II. Mean Annual temperature: : 12 : 33˚c
12
III. Hottest month is September
IV. Coldest month in that year is January
V. Mean. Annual. Temperature range= Max. Mean. Monthly. Temperature- min. Monthly.
Mean. temperature
Max= 40 ˚c
Min= 24˚c
40˚c-24˚c= 16˚c

Rainfall
Rain gauge is the instrument used to measure the amount of rainfall in a day.
It should be made of impermeable material which can’t absorb water.

Calculating Rainfall
1. Monthly Rainfall Total
-Sum of rainfall recorded in a month.
2. Annual Rainfall Total
- Sum of monthly rainfall totals for 12 months.

3. Mean Monthly Rainfall

-Sum of rainfall totals for a particular month over several years divided by the
number of the years of observation.
4. Mean Annual Rainfall
-Sum of mean monthly rainfall for 12 months of the year.
 Examples
Monthly rainfalls (in mm) at a specific point in June/2018 are as below.
Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
300 20 220 190 30 120 00
00 19 40 200 00 105 230
24 00 10 00 17 29 270
30 10 200 200 00 18 200
140 00

I. Calculate the monthly rainfall total in June 2018?

II. Which is the most rainy day for that point in June 2018?

ANSWERS
I. Monthly rainfall total is 2622 millimeters
II. the most rainy day in June/2018 is Friday
D) Calculate the mean monthly rainfall in June for five years of observed period?
Observed June/2014 June/2015 June/2016 June/2017 June/2018
Month
Rainfall(MM) 300 280 340 200 240
ANSWERS
Total rainfalls in a one month over several years 1360
. Mean monthly rainfall= = = 272 mm
𝑁𝑜.𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑏𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 5

E) Mean Monthly rainfalls at a specific point are

Months Jan Feb Mar Aril May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Rainfall in MM 200 350 33 400 460 300 120 380 405 37 10 250

VI. Calculate mean Annual rainfall for that point?

VII. Which is the least rainfall month during observed duration?
VIII. Which month received highest rainfalls?
Answer
sum of M.Monthly Rainfalls 2945mm
VI. Mean Annual Rainfall: = = 245 mm
12 12
VII. The least rainfall month is November
VIII. The month which received highest rainfall is May
Sunshine
Humidity

Interpretation of Hygrometer Readings

• When the 2 readings are the same, relative humidity is 100% i.e. the air is
saturated.
• If the difference is small, humidity is high.
• If the difference is big, humidity is very low.

Calculating Humidity
Absolute Humidity
- Actual amount of water vapour in a specific air. It’s expressed in g/m 3 .
Specific Humidity
- Ratio of the mass of Water vapour in air to the total mass of mixture of air. It’s
expressed in g/km.
Relative Humidity
- Ratio between the absolute humidity and the maximum amount of water the air can
hold at same temperature expressed in a percentage.
R.H.=A.H/Maximum amount of water the air can hold at the same temperature.
Example
• If the air at 20◦c contains 10g/m 3 and given air can hold a maximum of 20g/m3 at
20◦c.
10
Calculate the relative humidity = 20 𝑥100 = 50%
Wind
-Air in motion.

Wind speed wind direction

Atmospheric Pressure

3.4. Types of rainfall

1. Relief/Orographic/Mountain rainfall

Rain experienced on the windward slopes of mountains or hills formed when

moist air is forced to rise over a mountain or a hill.

How it Forms

• Moist air is forced to rise over a hill or mountain.

• The temperature and air pressure decreases making it to expand.
• Air cools due to decreased temperature and decreased pressure causing it to
expand.
• Moisture condenses forming tiny water droplets (clouds).
• The tiny water droplets in clouds merge and become too heavy to be suspended
in air and fall as rain.
• Air proceeds to the leeward side with low moisture content.

• Since its heavier due to being cool it descends over that side and gets warmed
making it to hold onto the little moisture it had causing that side to rec eive low
rainfall (rain shadow)
2. Convectional Rainfall

Type of rainfall common near large water bodies formed as a result of convective
rising and cooling of moist air.

It’s accompanied by thunderstorms.

How it forms

• Ground or water body is heated causing evaporation.

• There is convective rising and cooling of moist air.

• Condensation takes place forming tiny water droplets (clouds).

• The droplets merge and fall as rain.

• The cooled dry air descends to the surface where , it’s heated and its capacity to
hold moisture is increased.

• The process is repeated.

2. Frontal/Cyclonic Rainfall

Type of rainfall common in mid-latitudes formed when warm air blows towards a
cold area or when warm air mass meets with a cold air mass.
It’s accompanied by cyclones (violent winds).

How it Forms
• Warm moist air mass meets with a cold air mass .
• The warm air is forced to rise as it’s less dense.
• It cools as it rises at the line of contact with cold air.
• The moisture condenses forming clouds resulting in frontal rain.
3.5. Factors Influencing weather and climate

1. Altitude- Temperature decreases with increases of altitude due to air at higher

altitude being thinner and cool.
2. Latitude- Distance from the equator. Temperature decreases with increase in
latitudes.
3. Aspect - Direction of slope. At higher latitudes, slopes facing the equator have
higher temperature because they face the sun while those facing t he poles have
lower temperature.
4. Winds. When they blow from cool areas they take the cooling effect to the
areas they blow over and when they blow from warm areas they take warming
influence to the places they blow over.
5. Distance from a Large Water Body. Areas near a large water body experience
lower temperature during the hot season and higher temperature during the cool
season due to sea breezes, warm and cold ocean currents and wind blowing over
water which could be either warmer or cooler than the adjacent land.
6. Cloud Cover.
• When there are clear skies during the day the temperature is higher due to the
earth receiving maximum solar insolation.
• During clear nights there are very low temperatures due to a lot of terrestrial
radiation being lost to the outer space.
• Cloudy nights on the other hand are warmer due to clouds radiating to the earth
heat absorbed during the day.
7. Length of Day
• The longer the period of solar insolation the greater the quantity of radiation a
place receives and hence the more the heat that will be generated by the earth
and vice versa.
8. Solar Altitude
• At equinox when the earth is farthest from the sun the temperat ure on the earth
is lower due to less solar radiation reaching the earth’s surface.
9. Surface Conditions
• Light surfaces e.g. smooth surfaces reflect sunlight and hence less solar energy
reaches the earth’s surface.
• Dark and irregular surfaces such as with vegetation absorb more heat leading to
higher surface temperatures.