Digital weather recording instruments Nowadays there are digital instruments which can give us more accurate weather data. Complete the table to show a description of how it works and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Due Thursday 27th November – page 175 (big textbook) Instrument Benefits Disadvantages Digital hand held hydrometer Digital maximum-minimum thermometer Tipping bucket rain gauge

Interpreting weather and climate data L/O: to be able to interpret weather and climate data and give reasons for the location of particular climates Where to put it! On grass In the middle of an open area – not sheltered by buildings or trees – WHY?

Date: 4th March 2011 Weather station A Weather station B City/town/country Ecosystem/climate Max daily temp Min daily temp Daily temp range Mean daily temp Pressure (high/low) Wind direction Strongest wind Precipitaion total Precipitatiomn distribution Weather event

Lines of longitude and latitude 1 Lines of latitude and longitude are divided into degrees On your world map: Find 30°N and 31°E The 08’ and the 24’ are the minutes as each degree is divided into 60 minutes for more accuracy. b) Find the country at 1°N and 103°E Egypt? Singapore

What climate do our TWO countries have? World Climate Zones Although there are many climates in the world we are mainly interested in Equatorial Desert Savannah Mediterranean Marine west coast These may be called something else on the map however they can be characterised by similar rainfall and temperatures. What climate do our TWO countries have? Egypt: Arid (very dry) Singapore: Tropical wet

Ecosystem / climate zone / biome – use an atlas to find out the climate Maximum temperature – the highest temperature Minimum temperate – the lowest temperature Mean daily temperature – the average temperature Add all the temps together and ÷ by the total number of temps Range of temperatures – the highest temperature to the lowest Humidity – how much water vapour there is in the air shown as a % or total amount of water there could be before it must rain/snow Pressure – the weight of the atmosphere a) below 1013mb = low (worse weather) b) above 1013mb = high (fairer weather) Precipitation distribution – largest amount of water (rain/snow) to smallest amount Precipitation daily total – addition of all rain/snow fall Weather event – any particular weather recorded? Weather data

World Climate Zones or biomes Although there are many climates in the world we are mainly interested in Equatorial Desert Savannah Mediterranean Marine west coast These may be called something else on the map however they can be characterised by similar rainfall and temperatures. http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/pd/oceans_weather_climate/media/climate_zones.swf

What causes differences in Climate 1. Latitude. The further places are away from the equator the colder they are. On the equator there is a lot of rainfall because the heat of the sun causes a lot of evaporation. This is why rainforests are found here – the equatorial climate.

Other Factors 2. Altitude/ relief: as air rises it falls by 1 degree centigrade for every 100m. This means it is cooler in mountainous areas and more likely to rain as water condenses. 3. Prevailing Wind: This means the main wind direction. If it comes from the sea it will bring moist air which will cause rain if the sea is warm enough. Not all areas will benefit however. See the diagram on the right. What is the area called not receiving rain.

Distance from Sea and Effect of Ocean Currents Places by the sea often have a lower temperature range and are wetter than places inland. In summer they are cooler but in winter they are warmer than inland. 5. Ocean Currents. Places that are near to cold currents are often colder and drier than they should be. Why?

Learning about Climate Graphs Line graph for temperature You must be able to describe climate graphs. You need to be able to say what type of climate it is Rainfall – What is the yearly total. Is it wet, dry or seasonal When is the highest and the lowest rainfall. Temperature. – is it generally hot, cold or mild. When is the lowest month and the highest. What is the range of temperature. (difference between high and low) Bars show rainfall

Describe the equatorial climate What are the characteristics of each region – give data for each place! Equatorial Describe the equatorial climate Temperature range rainfall

Desert Climate Describe the climate graph. Think rainfall temperature range

Mediterranean Climate Describe the climate Graph. Equatorial Desert Mediterranean

Different climate zones research You will be given one place in one country and the climate data and you will need to: Use an atlas to find the climate zone of your location Give the longitude and latitude references for your location Create a neat climate graph for your location Use your graph to describe the climate including: Temperature range, monthly and anuually Annual rainfall distribution – highest to lowest Average monthly temperatures Average annual rainfall – amount of rain per year Use the climate factors and the physical features from the atlas to explain the reasons for the climate of your area. Different climate zones research