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Learning intentions:
What is a climate graph?
Draw a climate graph

Success Criteria:
By the end of today’s lesson you
will:
Define a climate graph.
know how to draw a climate
graph.
Climate is not the same as
weather. Weather is the day to
day, even hour to hour condition
of Earth’s lower atmosphere, but
climate is the long-term average
of atmospheric conditions at a
particular place on Earth’s
surface.
Climate graphs are a combination of
a column graph and a line graph.
Temperature is shown with a line
graph. Rainfall is shown with a
column graph.
Climate graphs are used to illustrate the
average temperature and rainfall
experienced at a particular place over
the course of a year. The graphs consist
of a red line graph showing average
monthly temperature, and a simple
column graph showing average monthly
rainfall figures. Rainfall is, by tradition,
shown in blue.
Climate graphs are used to illustrate the average
temperature and rainfall experienced at a particular
place over the course of a year. The graphs consist
of a red line graph showing average monthly
temperature, and a simple column graph showing
average monthly rainfall figures. Rainfall is, by
tradition, shown in blue. Some graphs show both
the average daily high and low temperatures for
each month. They do this by including two line
graphs – the average monthly maximum
temperature in red and the average monthly
minimum in blue
 Climate graph combines

A Column graph A line graph

Monthly rainfall Temperature

It shows the average temperature and

precipitation for each month in a certain
place.
 How to Construct a Climate Graph
Step 1
Look at your data . See two sets of data: average monthly rainfall (precipitation) in
millimetres (mm) and average monthly temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) for each
month?
Step 2
Use this information to add a suitable scale for both temperature and precipitation
(rainfall).
Step 3
Draw up a set of axes to fit the data above. Label the months on the horizontal axis
between the divisions, the temperature on the left vertical axis and the rainfall on the
right vertical axis.
Step 4
Plot the rainfall figures.
Using a pencil, construct a column graph showing the average monthly rainfall then
colour the columns blue. Make sure you use the right vertical scale to plot your data.
Step 5
Plot the average maximum and minimum temperature data, making sure each dot is
placed in the centre of the month.
Climate graphs have 2 vertical axis: the
left shows temperature C̊ and the right
shows precipitation (mm)
 Use the data below to construct a climate graph

  J F M A M J J A S O N D
Rainfall
75 55 50 54 64 50 70 69 63 65 84 67
(mm)
Temp
3 5 7 9 10 16 17 18 16 10 7 5
(°C)
Step 1: Draw the axes
Step 2: Label the bottom axis with the months of the year
Label the right hand axis with the rainfall or average precipitation
Label the left hand axis with temperature
Average Temperature in Degree Celsius

Precipitation
Average Precipitation
Average
J F M A M J J A S O N D

Month
Step 3: Work out the scale on both sides

  J F M A M J J A S O N D
50
Rainfall
75 55 50 54 64 50 70 69 63 65 84 67
(mm)
45 16 90
Average Temperature in Degree Celsius

Temp (°C) 3 5 7 9 10 17 18 16 10 7 5

40 80

Precipitation
Average Precipitation
35 70
30 60
25 50

Average
20 40
15 30

10 20

5 10

0 0
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Month
Step 4: Plot the temperature data as a line graph and colour it red
  J F M A M J J A S O N D
50 Rainfall
75 55 50 54 64 50 70 69 63 65 84 67
(mm)
45 Temp (°C) 3 5 7 9 10 16 90
17 18 16 10 7 5
Average Temperature in Degree Celsius

Average Precipitation
40 80

35 70
30 60
25 50
20 40
15 30

10 20

5 10

0 0
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Month
Step 5: construct a column graph showing the average
monthly rainfall then colour the columns blue
50   J F M A M J J A S O N D
Average Temperature in Degree Celsius

Rainfall
45 (mm)
75 55 50 54 64
9050 70 69 63 65 84 67
Temp (°C) 3 5 7 9 10 16 17 18 16 10 7 5
40 80

35

Average
70

Average Precipitation
30 60

Precipitation
25 50
20 40
15 30

10 20

5 10

0 0
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Month
   J F M A M J J A S O N D
Rainfall 75 55 50 54 64 50 70 69 63 65 84 67
(mm)
Temp (°C) 3 5 7 9 10 16 17 18 16 10 7 5
50

45 90
Average Temperature in Degree Celsius

40 80

35 70
30 60

Average Precipitation
25 50
20 40
15

Average
30

10 20

5 10

0 0
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Month
 If the temperature
Climatic graph line goes down
Average Temperature in Degree (located in the
50 Southern
hemisphere. If it
45 90 goes up (it is in the
in the Northern)
40 Temperature shown as
80
a line graph

35

Average Precipitation
70
30 Precipitation shown as
60
a column graph
25 50
20 40
15 30
Temperature
measured
along one 10 20 Precipitation
vertical axis
measured along one
in ̊C 5 10 vertical axis in mm

0 0
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Months of the year along
the horizontal axis Month
Prepared by Zani Alam
for the HSIE faculty
Term 3 2016