BASICS ON WEATHER

STUDIES

Presentation by
A Sachingoma
Definitions
 Weather refers to the daily changing conditions of the
atmosphere.

 Climate refers to the average weather conditions of a place

over a long period of time especially 35 to 40 years.
Climate change
• Climate change is “a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to
human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in
addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods” (IPCC
Fifth Report (2014:1760).

• The IPCC (2007) defines climate change as “a change in the state of the climate that
can be identified by changes in the mean and/or variability of its properties and that
persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer.”

• Chirala (2013) defined it as a “long-term shift in weather statistics, which include

average temperature, precipitation and wind found at a given place and time.”
 Location of a weather station
DESCRIPTION
 Located far away from buildings.
 
 Located away from trees.
 Located on fairly flat areas with short
grass
EXPLANATION
 Buildings act as a windbreak, intercept
rainfall, absorb and reflect heat, and
there is much interference from people.
 Trees act as a windbreak, intercept
precipitation and affect reflection.
(albedo)
 Reduces chances of splash effect by
droplets, no interception of rainfall or
windbreaks to affect rainfall, wind or
temperature.
A Stevenson Screen
Six’s thermometer
Rainfall
Hygrometer
Mercury barometer
Aneroid barometer
Sunshine recorder
Wind vane
Cup anemometer
 Weather hazards

Floods
Drought
Lightning
Whirlwinds and tornados