The health of our environment is governed by two important terms–weather and climate.
Today you woke up to a bright and sunny day. Tomorrow, it could be so chilly that you regret leaving your favourite wool sweater at home. You planned for an outdoor picnic last week but the weather made you turn it into an indoor picnic.
Recently, you noticed that you had longer winter or dry seasons compared to this present day. What changed during those years and why do we have to bother about the weather and climate?
We use these terms interchangeably, and as long as the next person understands what we truly mean – it’s all good. Though similar, weather and climate are distinct.
This article talks about weather, climate, and other amazing stuff.
Let’s delve right in.
What is Weather?
Weather is the atmospheric condition of a place at a specific time. Remember when the sun shone brightly on Tuesday morning only to be accompanied by rain in the evening? That simply explains the weather conditions of that day.
Weather conditions can change at different points in an hour or a day. Factors like the rotation of the earth, air pressure systems, humidity levels, and topography influence changes in the weather.
What is Climate?
The main distinguishing factor between weather and climate is time. Climate refers to the average condition of the weather in a place over a specific period, such as years, decades, centuries, etc.
Changes in land use (due to human activities), the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and solar radiation are factors that affect the climate of a place.
Some elements of weather and climate include;
- Humidity
- Precipitation
- Wind
- Atmospheric pressure
- Temperature
- Sunshine
- Rainfall
- Snow
- Cloud formation
Differences Between Weather and Climate
Several differences exist between weather and climate, such as;
1. Compilation of data
The compilation of data for weather and climate happens at different times. For weather, data is collected daily across different locations. That is, the weather data for two cities in one country are collected separately.
Meanwhile, climate data is compiled over a longer period with more sophisticated equipment. Data obtained from the climate is used to predict climate trends like climate change which is affecting the earth currently.
2. Range
The weather condition of a place focuses on small areas like towns and cities in a geographical location. For example, it might rain in Los Angeles while it’s sunny in San Diego, both being cities in the US state of California.
On the other hand, climate focuses on weather patterns in a larger geographical location for extended periods. The average climate of countries, continents and the world at large is the focus.
3. Duration
Considering length of time, weather focuses on the atmospheric condition of a place within a shorter period such as an hour or a day. Meanwhile, climate focuses on the long-term patterns spanning weeks, months, years and centuries.
4. Changeability
Weather can be difficult to predict compared to climate. That is why you get surprised when it rains after the weather forecast says it won’t. This is partly because of the short time frame needed to come up with these predictions.
Climate can be easily foreseen due to the longer time frame available for predictions, historical data and models.
5. Effect
Changes in weather patterns can cause damage to crops and farmlands, loss of lives and properties, hurricanes and tornadoes. This can happen within minutes with little or no warning.
Changes in climate cause damage on a larger scale to the earth’s surface such as the rise in sea levels, changes in rainfall patterns, drought and overall disruption of the ecosystem.
Weather Instruments
Just like every scientific phenomenon, weather must be measured for record keeping, prediction of climate and other purposes. This can be achieved with the weather instruments listed below:
1. Anemometer
An anemometer is a weather instrument used for measuring the speed of wind. It is extremely useful in forecasting storms and wind energy for power generation.
2. Hygrometer
Do you want to know the level of humidity in the air, then using a hygrometer is key. Knowing humidity levels helps you to understand cloud formation and precipitation in weather conditions.
3. Rain gauge
A rain gauge is used to measure the amount of rainfall. This is important in knowing areas that are prone to flood, patterns of precipitation and availability of water during the planting season in any location.
4. Barometer
A barometer measures atmospheric pressure, with the most common type being a mercury barometer.
5. Wind vane
A wind vane is a weather instrument that tells the direction of wind. It is also known as a wind indicator and has a flat shape that spins on a spindle. This spindle allows it to rotate according to the direction of the wind.
6. Thermometer
A thermometer is used to measure temperature. This is important if you want to compare temperatures of different geographical locations and record temperature differences over time.
Conclusion
Weather and climate are two important words in understanding how our ecosystem works. Understanding the basic principles that govern them, the instruments used for measurements, and their elements is paramount in maintaining a thriving ecosystem.
