WEATHER and SEASONS (CUACA dan MUSIM)

A. Weather (Cuaca) Weather is state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereasclimate is the term for the average atmospheric conditions over longer periods of time. When used without qualification, "weather" is understood to be the weather of Earth. Weather is driven by density (temperature and moisture) differences between one place and another. These differences can occur due to the sun angle at any particular spot, which varies by latitude from the tropics. The strong temperature contrast between polar and tropical air gives rise to the jet stream. Weather systems in the mid-latitudes, such as extratropical cyclones, are caused by instabilities of the jet stream flow. Because the Earth'saxis is tilted relative to its orbital plane, sunlight is incident at different angles at different times of the year. On Earth's surface, temperatures usually range 40 C (100 F to 40 F) annually. Over thousands of years, changes in Earth's orbit affect the amount and distribution of solar energy received by the Earth and influence long-term climate and global climate change. Surface temperature differences in turn cause pressure differences. Higher altitudes are cooler than lower altitudes due to differences in compressional heating. Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a future time and a given location. The atmosphere is a chaotic system, so small changes to one part of the system can grow to have large effects on the system as a whole. Human attempts to control the weather have occurred throughout human history, and there is evidence that human activity such as agriculture and industry has inadvertently modified weather patterns.

Studying how the weather works on other planets has been helpful in understanding how weather works on Earth. A famous landmark in the Solar System, Jupiter's Great Red Spot, is an anticyclonicstorm known to have existed for at least 300 years. However, weather is not limited to planetary bodies. A star's corona is constantly being lost to space, creating what is essentially a very thin atmosphere throughout the Solar System. The movement of mass ejected from the Sun is known as the solar wind.

a. Kinds of Weather

Sunny (Cerah)

Cloudy (Berawan)

Windy (Berangin)

Rainy (Hujan)

Storm (Badai)

Foggy (Berkabut)

Snowy (Bersalju)

Lightning (Petir)

Hail (Hujan Es)

B. Seasons (Musim) A season is a subdivision of the year, marked by changes

in weather, ecology, and hours of daylight. Seasons result from the yearly revolution of the Earth around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to the plane of revolution. In temperate and polar regions, the seasons are marked by changes in the intensity of sunlight that reaches the Earth's surface, variations of which may cause animals to go into hibernation or to migrate, and plants to be dormant. During May, June and July, the northern hemisphere is exposed to more direct sunlight because the hemisphere faces the sun. The same is true of the southern hemisphere in November, December and January. It is the tilt of the Earth that causes the Sun to be higher in the sky during the summer months which increases the solar flux. However, due to seasonal lag, June, July and August are the hottest months in the northern hemisphere and December, January and February are the hottest months in the southern hemisphere. In temperate and subpolar regions, generally four calendar-based seasons (with their adjectives) are recognized: spring (vernal), summer (estival), autumn (autumnal) and winter (hibernal). However, ecologists are increasingly using a six-season model for temperate climate regions that includes pre-spring (prevernal) and late summer (serotinal) as distinct seasons along with the traditional four (See Ecological Seasons below). In some tropical and subtropical regions it is more common to speak of the rainy (or wet, or monsoon) season versus the dry season, because the amount ofprecipitation may vary more dramatically than the average temperature. For example, in Nicaragua the dry season (November to April) is called 'summer' and the rainy season (May to October) is called 'winter', even though it is located in the northern hemisphere. In other tropical areas a three-way division into hot, rainy, and cool season is used. In some parts of the world, special "seasons" are loosely defined based on important events such as a hurricane season, tornado season or a wildfireseason.

a. Seasons in Indonesia Indonesia has two seasons. They are dry season and wet season. Each season last for six months.

Dry Season (Musim Kemarau)

- It lasts from April October - The sun shines brightly - The weather is sunny, dry and dusty - The day is clear - There is no rainfall - The soil becomes dry - Many plant drought - Its time to go picnic

Wet Season (Musim Penghujan)

- It lasts from October - April - The weather is cloudy, rainy and foggy - The wind blows strongly - There are storm, thunder, and lightning flashes - It rains everyday - The rivers often over flow - It cause flood - Its cold - The people need raincoat and umbrella

b. Seasons in Europe Europe has four seasons. They are spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Each season last for three months.

Spring (Musim Semi)

- It lasts from April June - The weather is sunny - The sky is bright - The leaves turn green - Many flowers are blooming - The day is clear - The temperatureis warm

Summer (Musim Panas)

- It lasts from June August - The weather is sunny and hot - The fruits are ripe (the farmers harvest their crops) - Its time to go the beach - The sky is bright - The day is clear - The temperature is very hot

Autumn (Musim Gugur)

- It lasts from September November - The weather s windy and cloudy - The leaves turn yellow and brown - The leaves fall - It start to cold

Winter (Musim Salju)

- It lasts from November January - The weather is snowy - The snow fall - Its cold - People usually make snow ball and play ice skating