Weather Flashcards
5 FACTORS WHICH EFFECT LOCAL WEATHER CONDITIONS
- Latitude (distance from equator) - This effects the temperature becuase places that are further from the equator tend to be warmer as there is a further distance to travel till the earths surface and a lot of heat energy gets lost to clouds and dust in the atmosphere. The rays also spread out over a further area so the heat energy per area is less. Places further North are colder whilst the tropics are warmer.
- Relief (height and shape of the land) - every 100m you go up it gets 1^C colder. Upland areas tend to be colder and wetter than lowland areas.
- Aspect (the way the land faces) - South facing land is warmer than North facing land because they receive more heat from the sun and are sheltered from the cold northerly winds. North facing areas receive little direct sunshine.
- Distance from the sea - In winter, it is warmer in the West of the UK because the warm ocean current of the North Atlantic Drift brings warm water up from the equator
- Urban heat island - Cities are warmer than rural areas as they are more densely built up with houses and cars and easily trap more heat.
CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ANTI-CYCLONE IN SUMMER
- Dry (no fronts).
- Light winds (isobars are spaced).
- Sunny, few clouds (no rain because there is no fronts).
- Hot during the day because there is no clouds to block out the sun.
- Cool at night because there is no clouds to trap the heat so it escapes.
- Early morning dew because the warm air cools and condenses near the ground.
- Occasional thunderstorms because of warm moist air rising.
CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ANTI-CYCLONE IN WINTER
- Dry (no fronts).
- Light winds (isobars are spaced).
- Cold during the day.
- Early morning fog because the air cools and condenses near the ground because the temperature is low.
7 BENEFITS OF A SUMMER ANTI-CYCLONE
- Warm,dry weather improves moods.
- People can take part in outdoor activities such as BBQs.
- People can take part in outdoor sports such as tennis without being worried of being rained on.
- Heating bills are reduced as heating doesn’t need to be put on.
- Sales for summer goods such as hats and sun lotion increases profits for shops.
- Sunshine helps ripen crops.
- Clothes can be dried outside and avoid having to use a tumble drier which saves money
7 PROBLEMS WITH A SUMMER ANTI-CYCLONE
- Drought conditions can be brought which can result in farmers not producing a lot of crops and missing out on money and fewer products being available in supermarkets.
- As so many people are visiting the beach, traffic jams can be caused and can result in an increase in air and noise pollution.
- Lots of people can become ill with sunstroke and dehydration. This can result in hundreds of beds being taken up and puts a strain on the NHS.
- Thunderstorms can happen which can lead to heavy down pour and flash floods and cause damage to houses and buildings which is expensive to repair.
- Animals, particularly dogs, can be left in cars and overheat and die.
- Teenagers can go to areas such as Kelvingrove or Trune beach and abuse alcohol which can distrupt family days (antisocial behaviour due to hot weather).
- These teenagers can also then leave leave lots of litter behind which is then very costly to collect and clean.
6 BENEFITS OF A WINTER ANTI-CYCLONE
- Snowy conditions means that people can take part in activities such as sledging and skiing in places such as Aviemore.
- Sales for Winter products increase (hats, gloves, sledges) which increases shops profits.
- Bookings for ski resorts such as Aviemore increase which brings more money towards the local economy.
- As people are visiting ski resorts, profits in BnBs, restraunts and hotels will also increase as so many people are coming which will allow them to stay in business.
- Local people will get jobs which reduces rural urban migration.
- Schools will close which means kids can go out and socialise with friends.
7 PROBLEMS OF A WINTER ANTI-CYCLONE
- There will be more accidents due to the slippery conditions, for example broken limbs, which will put strain on the NHS.
- Additional supplies of electricity are needed as more people are turning on their heating which can put strain on the National Grid.
- Freezing temperatures can cause water in water pipes to freeze. When water freezes, it expands, so the pipes can burst resulting in water damage on houses.
- Travel is distrupted due to the bad weather which results in workers being late to their place of employment.
- Schools are forced to close which can effect students education, especially those sitting SQA exams.
- Elderly can become lonely as they are unable to attend clubs and socialise.
- Deliveries are delayed which can result in shops not being able to supply products. In the Winter of 2018, Silverburn shopping centre was forced to close for a day impacting the profits.
PASSING OF A DEPRESSION
In front of the warm front - It is cold as there is cold polar air. It is dry as no fronts are present. There will be sunny intervals/light cloud/light sun because it is dry.
At the warm front - Temperatures will be increasing as the warm front is approaching. There will be long periods of light rain/drizzle as the warm front is present. Cloud cover will be thicker as there is rain. There will be no sun because cloud cover is thicker.
In the warm sector - Temperatures will be warm as it is in the warm sector ( warm tropical air). It will be dry because there is no fronts. It will be sunny because there is no clouds to block out the sun because it is dry.
At the cold front - Temperatures will begin to drop as the cold front approaches. There will be short periods of heavy rainfall as a front is present. There will be thick clouds because it is wet and there will be no sun as the clouds would block it out.
Behind the cold front - Temperatures have dropped because it’s now in the cold sector and receiving cold polar air as the air in a depression moves anti-clockwise. There will be no rain because there is no fronts. Cloud cover will be light because it is dry and there will be sunny intervals as cloud cover is light.
