Weather and

Climate
Key Stage 3
Why do Geographers study the
weather?
What is the difference between
weather and climate?
Weather refers to the state of the atmosphere at a
local level
Usually on a short timescale of minutes to
months.
It emphasises on the aspects of the atmosphere
that affect human activity

e.g Change in Temperature, wind speed, humidity,

cloud cover, precipitation, sunshine
 What is the difference
between weather and
climate?
Climate is concerned with the long term
behaviour of the atmosphere in a specific area,
usually based on an average of 30 years

Climatic characteristics are based on data on

temperature, pressure, wind, precipitation,
humidity etc.
 What is the difference
between
weather and climate?
The four major climate types within the world
 What is the difference
between weather and
climate?
The Earth is divided into the 6 major climate zones
Climate graphs

Above is a climate graph. Climate graphs show

rainfall and temperature combined on the same
graph for a given area throughout a year.
 The water cycle
The Earth is made up of
70% water

Water is stored in 3 In the atmosphere or on the land

different ways on the rivers and lakes = 1%
Earth
As snow and ice mostly at the
poles = 2 %

And the biggest store of water on

the Earth is within the
Seas and Oceans = 97%
 The water cycle

The water on the Earth is never destroyed or

created, it is recycled. This recycling is called the
water cycle!
 What is precipitation?
Precipitation is water that has fell from the
atmosphere

It can be in solid or liquid form

Names of different types of precipitation

Hail Sleet

Fog Rain

Snow Dew
 Why does it rain?
There are 3 types of rainfall!

1.Convectional
•All the three types of rainfall are
2. Relief caused due to air rising

3. Frontal
•As the air rises, water vapour
which is in the air cools

•As the air cools condensation can

occur producing droplets of water
that then falls as rain!
Convectional Rain
Relief Rainfall
Frontal Rainfall
How much do you know now?
Main points
Geographers study weather because it has an impact on people’s daily
lives and the activities that they do
Climate is the long term behaviour of the atmosphere in a specific area,
usually based on a 30 year average

Weather refers to the state of the atmosphere over a short period of time
over a local area
There are 4 climate types, humid , arid, temperate and polar
There are 6 major climatic zones – Equatorial, Tropical grassland, hot
desert, maritime, Mediterranean, Tundra

Water is neither created nor destroyed. It is cycled round over and over
again. This recycling of water is called the water cycle.

Precipitation is water from the atmosphere. It can be in solid or liquid

form.
There are three main types of rainfall – relief, convectional and frontal. In
all three situations, rainfall occurs because air is forced to rise.