Weather refers to short-term atmospheric conditions in an area, while climate describes typical weather patterns over a long period of time. The key elements of weather include wind, atmospheric pressure, temperature, precipitation, and humidity, which are measured using instruments like anemometers, barometers, thermometers, rain gauges, and hygrometers. Climate is influenced by factors such as latitude, altitude, and distance from bodies of water, which determine climate zones like polar, tropical, and temperate.

1. WEATHER and CLIMATE are two different things.
WEATHER refers to the atmospheric conditions in a specific
area at a specific time.
CLIMATE refers to the typical weather in a region for a long
period of time.
WEATHER
can change
from
day to day
or at
different
times,
even on
the same day.
It can be:

2. THE ELEMENTS OF WEATHER
1-The WIND: it’s the movement of air in the atmosphere.
We measure it with the WEATHER VANE (direction)
and ANEMOMETER (speed in km/hour).
2-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE: it’s the weight of air in
the atmosphere.
We measure it with the BAROMETER in millibars.
3-TEMPERATURE: this is how hot or cold the air is.
We measure it with a THERMOMETER in degrees.

3. 4-PRECIPITATION: it’s the water that falls from clouds (rain)
We measure it with the RAIN GAUGE in millilitres.
5-HUMIDITY: it’s the amount of water vapour in the air.
We measure it with the HYGROMETER in percentage (%)

4. CLIMATIC FACTORS
To study climate, scientists study the precipitations and
temperatures of an area for at least thirty years.
The information for each year is put on a CLIMATE GRAPH:

5. a) LATITUDE: the Sun’s rays are
stronger at the Equator.
That’s why Equatorial regions are
warmer than polar regions.
b) ALTITUDE: the higher a place
is above the sea level, the colder
is.That is why it is colder on the
mountains than on the coast.
c) DISTANCE FROM THE SEA: the sea water
heats up and cools down more slowly than land.
That’s why coastal areas are cooler in summer and warmer in
winter.

6. CLIMATE ZONES
-POLAR ZONES: they are
near the poles and in the
mountains. They have low
temperatures all year
round. The little
precipitation they get is in
the form of snow.
-TROPICAL ZONES: they are
near the Equator. They all have
high temperatures, but
different precipitations. For
example, jungles, savannahs
and deserts.
-TEMPERATE ZONES:
there are two of them on
either side of the tropical
zone. Their temperatures
are between 0ºC and 20ºC,
depending on whether it is
winter or summer. Europe is
in a temperate zone with
many forests.