Weather and Climate

Question 1

What is Weather?

Answer 1

The condition of the atmosphere (air) at a certain place and a certain time within a short period of time (eg 24 hours)

Question 2

What is climate?

Answer 2

The average weather condition of a place calculated over a long period of time (eg 30 to 35 years)

Question 3

What are the elements of weather?

Answer 3

1. Temperature
2. Precipitation
3. Wind Speed
4. Cloud Type
5. Wind Direction
6. Cloud Cover
7. Visibility

Question 4

What does the element of temperature refer to?

Answer 4

This is a measure of how hot or cold it is.

Question 5

How is temperature measured?

Answer 5

Thermometers are used to measure temperature accurately and is recorded in Celsius

Question 6

What does the element of precipitation refer to?

Answer 6

This is when water in the air falls to the ground.

Question 7

In which forms can precipitation occur?

Answer 7

Rain, Snow, Sleet, Hail, Fog, Mist, Dew…etc

Question 8

How is precipitation measured?

Answer 8

It is recorded in millimetres (mm)

Question 9

What does the element of wind speed refer to?

Answer 9

It tells us how strong wind is - how quickly it is traveling

Question 10

How is wind speed / strength measured and in what units?

Answer 10

Using the Beaufort scale and in knots or km/h

Question 11

What does the element of cloud type refer to?

Answer 11

Refers to the types of clouds including different shapes, size and heights. (eg cumulonimbus, cumulus, stratus and cirrus)

Question 12

What does the element of wind direction refer to?

Answer 12

Shown by a wind vane, this the direction from which the wind blows

Question 13

What does the element of cloud cover refer to?

Answer 13

This is the amount of the sky covered by cloud.

Question 14

How is cloud cover measured?

Answer 14

In oktas

Question 15

What does the element of visibility refer to?

Answer 15

This is the distance that can be seen

Question 16

What unit is visibility measured in?

Answer 16

Meters

Question 17

What is air pressure?

Answer 17

This is th weight of the atmosphere (air) on the surface of the earth

Question 18

Wind blows from _________ pressure to _________ pressure

Answer 18

high to low

Question 19

Which instrument and what unit is air pressure measured in?

Answer 19

It is measured by a barometer and recorded in milibars

Question 20

What are the three types of thermometers and what are they used for?

Answer 20

1. Maximum - measures highest temp reach during the day
2. Minimum - measures lowest top reached during the day
3. Six - combined minimum and maximum thermometer

Question 21

What are the readings from the three types of thermometers used to calculate?

Answer 21

1. Mean daily temperature
2. Mean monthly temperature
3. Mean annual temperature

Question 22

Which instrument is used to measure rainfall? (and how does it work? and in which units?)

Answer 22

A rain gauge. Explain the process. And is measured in millimetres.

Question 23

Which precautions should be taken to ensure accurate readings from a rain gauge?

Answer 23

1. It is placed in an open space (avoid run off from buildings or trees)
2. Should be sunk into the ground (avoid rain splashing into it from the ground and avoids evaporation)

Question 24

What are the features of a Stevenson Screen?

Answer 24

1. Has 4 thermometers placed inside
2. Put one meter from the ground
3. Placed in an open field
4. Has wooden louvres in order to allow air to circulate freely
5. Is painted white to reflect solar radiation
6. Place above ground so that rain or pests cannot damage it

Question 25

How do you measure sunshine?

Answer 25

A sunshine recorder measures the intensity and duration of sunshine and is called a Campbell-stokes sunshine recorder.