Introduction to Weather and Climate

Weather
Icons key: For more detailed instructions, see the Getting Started presentation.
Flash activity. These activities are not editable. Teacher’s notes included in the Notes Page.

Accompanying worksheet. Printable activity. Useful web links.

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 Why do geographers study the weather?
What is the difference between ‘weather’
and ‘climate’?
European climate – decision-making
Contents
Climate graphs
What is the water cycle?
What is precipitation?
Why does it rain?
Summary activities
The key concepts covered are:
Space, Scale and Physical and human processes.

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 Why doWhy
geographers study
do geographers
study the weather?
the weather?

By the end of this section, you will:

Understand what study of the
weather is called.
Know how the weather affects
us in our daily lives.
See how changes in the
weather can affect people at
their work.

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Why study the weather?

The study of weather is known as

meteorology. Specialists in this area
are known as meteorologists.
Every day they forecast what the
weather will be like.
For many people, this has only a
small impact on their lives, but for
others it is very important.
Fishermen and pilots, for example,
could not do their job without
weather reports.

How is the weather important to you in

your daily life?
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Take the weather with you?

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 2 more to think over and
explain
• Helicopter pilot
• Clerk of the course (for the TT it is Gary
Thompson)

• What weather issues would they have?

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 What is is
What thethedifference between
different between
weather and
‘weather’ and climate?
‘climate’?

By the end of this section, you will:

Know what the difference is
between weather and climate.
Be able to identify the six
major climate zones.
Be able to give more
information about these
different climates.

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What is weather?

Weather is the day to day changes in the atmosphere.

What might this include?

Temperature Precipitation

Wind speed Humidity

Wind direction Cloud cover

Air pressure Sunshine

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What is climate?

Climate is the pattern of weather,

usually based over 30 years.
When working out the climate
of a location, the average
results of the changes in the
atmosphere will be noted.
Climate talks about general
information:
warm, dry summers
cold, dark winters
hot and dry all year round.

How would you describe the climate of the UK?

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Climate types

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World climate zones

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World climate zones

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Climates across the world

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 European
European climate –
decision-making
climate – decision-making

By the end of this section, you will:

Know how to analyse climate
information.
Be able to give informed
advice based on evidence.
Be able to make a good
decision based on set criteria.

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European climate

Climate can make a big difference to people’s holidays and

their choices about where they want to visit.

What type of climate would suit people on

these holidays?
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Travel help

Many people call upon

the services of travel
agents when deciding
where to go on holiday.
Travel agents need to
give their customers good
advice and relevant
information to help them
find a suitable holiday.
They need to know what type of climate different places have
so they can give their customers what they want.

What sort of climate do you like when

you go on holiday?
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Analysing needs

Imagine that you are a travel agent and your customer would
like to go away on a city break in Europe. They have a list of
criteria that need to be met.
The holiday must take place
in October.
The customer doesn’t want to visit a
city where there will be a lot of rain.
The city needs to have a nice
temperature for that time of year.
It must be at least 15ºC.

Can you recommend a suitable location?

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Make the best decision

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 Climate graphs
Climate graphs

By the end of this section, you will:

Know what a climate graph is.
Understand how climate
graphs are used to measure
rainfall and temperature.
Be able to plot your own
climate graph.

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Climate graphs

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Plot your own climate graph

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 What is the water
What is the water cycle?
cycle?

By the end of this section, you will:

Know what the water cycle
is and how water is recycled.
Be able to name and identify
the different processes that
constitute the water cycle.

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The water cycle

Over 70% of the Earth’s

surface is covered by water.
The vast majority of this is
stored in the oceans and
seas of the world.

Water is neither created nor

destroyed.

It is cycled round over and

over again in the Earth’s
atmosphere.
This recycling of water is called the water cycle.

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The water cycle

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The water cycle

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Cycle definitions

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 What is
What is precipitation?
precipitation?

By the end of this section, you will:

Know what is meant by the
term precipitation.
Be able to name various
different types of weather
that fall under the category
of precipitation.

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What is precipitation?

Precipitation is any water

that falls to the Earth’s
surface from the atmosphere.

Precipitation occurs when

the air becomes saturated
with water vapour. The
vapour condenses and falls
from the sky.
The state it reaches the Earth's surface in depends on a
number of different factors such as altitude and temperature.

What different types of precipitation can

you think of?
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Precipitation search

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 Why
Whydoes
does it rain?
it rain?

By the end of this section, you will:

Be able to identify the three
main types of rainfall.
Know why rain forms in
these different scenarios.
Know the differences
between the three types of
rainfall.

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Why does it rain?

There are three types of rain: relief

rainfall, convectional rainfall and
frontal rainfall.
In all three situations, rainfall
occurs because air rises.
Air contains water vapour. As the
air rises it cools and
condensation can occur.
This means that the water vapour
turns into droplets of water and
falls as rain.

What are the differences between the

three main types of rainfall?
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Convectional rain

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Ordering convection

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Relief rain

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What a relief!

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Frontal rain

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Frontal, relief or convection?

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 Summary
Summary activities
activities

By the end of this section, you will:

Be confident in your
knowledge of weather
and climate.
Know how to use and
spell important
terminology relating to
weather and climate.

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Summary quiz

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Glossary

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Anagrams

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