How weather effects peoples lives and activities.

Weather, is the day to day change in conditions including the changes in the atmosphere, these changes include temperature, levels of precipitation, wind speed, wind direction and the change in air pressure. These measurements are usually taken and recorded at least once a day. Weather is the day-to-day changes in Earths atmospheric conditions. Climate, is the average conditions for an area or country recorded over a long period of time like 30 years or more, examining the data recorded it is possible to see patterns or trends these become known as the climate. Any place on earth does therefore have its own daily weather and its own longer term average conditions or climate. By examining the records it is possible to identify trends etc which become known as the seasons identified by the combination of the weather patterns. Particular weather hazards like Tornados or Hurricanes follow seasonal patterns. Known as climatic classification the climate data from round the world is used to divide the globe into climate zones.

Climate and weather are both very powerful forces in the world, human activity is closely linked to the yearly patterns of climate especially in countries or regions where the people rely on farming both for food and for a living. Problems begin to arise when people live in weather extremes e.g. in areas of desert the rainfall is so varied during the year who will need to adapt to the climate. Weather affects human activity on a day-to-day basis whether it is as simple as a few spots of rain meaning people not having to water their gardens or whether it is a tornado ripping through a town causing huge amounts of damage the weather affects peoples day-to-day lives. Human activity covers a variety of things, -Farming -Communication -Settlement -Holidays and recreation. The weather conditions can effect the day-to-day lives of and have an impact on them.

Farming is always affected by the weather no matter what sort of farming it is the weather will affect it crops without rainwater will perish and die as they would without enough sunlight. Peoples leisure activities are effected by the weather and mixing a little with health, Sunbathers on beaches all over the world must be careful, an example is British people with the varied weather we have we tent to at the first sign of sun peel off layers to get a tan as quickly as possible (on the understanding that if they dont the weather could be miserable again the next day) As a result cases of skin cancer in the UK had doubled in less than a decade. -indirect

Heavy snow has been a problem in the British isles and blizzards in a Scottish ski resort are without doubt affecting peoples live and their leisure time. The very varied weather conditions in the Scottish mountains makes skiing holidays there riskier than in the Alps, another good example is employment many hundreds of jobs depend on the weather e.g. NO SNOW, NO SKIERS, NO JOBS. -indirect In the USA in 1992 the first tropic storm of the year was spotted in the north Atlantic. The storm was tracked using Satellite and specially equipped aircraft By the Sunday it was off the coast of California, warnings were broadcast on TV and Radio, Highways were soon jammed with families trying to escape and those who were choosing to stay were advised to sit in the most enclosed room of their home, the strongest wind reached up to 164 MPH as strong as a tornado. Wooden homes and trailer parks were ripped to pieces but most concrete and brick homes survived. -direct In this situation most communications had completely broken down overhead lines were damaged. The National Guard had to be called out to help maintain order and to try to restore essential services. The final cost was 58 deaths and a $25 Billion payout in damages. indirect Weather can cause a more long term suffering, Parts or S. Africa have suffered below average rainfall for 14 years between 1982 and 1996 However because of well organised relief efforts there was no starvation or famine, this is a huge contrast to the 1984 droughts in Africa in places like the Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia. Which triggered mass famine. -indirect Weather problems have caused there to be power shortages across the country as high winds have knocked down power lines and destroyed generators etc. direct

Examining the assertion, People are at the mercy of the weather I think must be agreed with though most are unaware how much their lives revolve around the weather conditions that day, for whatever reason whether it be, Fashion, Health, Profitable, They do respond to weather conditions, Those who argue that they are able to control the weather are nave. Human societies clearly are unable to control the weather and climate,