Factors that effect our Climate

Weather refers to the condition of the atmosphere of a particular place over a short period of time.
The study of weather condition is known as Meteorology.

Climate is the average weather conditions prevailing in an area over a long period of time. The study
of climatic condition is known as Climatology.

Compare and Contrast weather and climate

WEATHER
•The temperature, rainfall, pressure and the condition of the atmosphere of a particular place over a
short period of time is called the weather.
•The weather keeps changing every day. Some days are bright, sunny and hot whereas others are
cloudy, rainy or cold.
CLIMATE
•The kind of weather that a place has over a long period of time is called a climate.
•Climate remains more a less or less unchanged year after year.
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE CLIMATE OF A PLACE
Distance from the Equator Altitude Distance from the Sea
Direction of Winds Humidity
Climate Zones
Torrid Zone: This zone lies between Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic
of Capricorn. The climate here is hot and humid.
Temperate Zone: This zone lies between 23½°-66½°in both the
hemispheres. It is neither too hot nor too cold in this zone.
Frigid Zone: This zone lies between the Arctic Circle and North Pole
in the Northern Hemisphere and Antarctic Circle and South Pole in
the Southern Hemisphere. The rays of the sun are very slanting in this zone. Hence, it is extremely
cold here. This region is permanently covered with thick layer of ice.
Q. How distance from equator influence the climate of the region?
The sun rays are more direct or perpendicular near the Equator. These rays fall over a smaller area
and make the place hot.
The closer a place to the Equator, the hotter is its climate.
The poles receive the slanting rays of the sun. They spread over a much larger area hence as we
move away from the equator the temperature goes on decreasing.
Altitude: The height of an object or point in relation to sea level or ground level.
High Altitude ---- Low pressure Low Altitude ----High Pressure
[Link] climate of a place is affected by its altitude, that is, the height of a place above the sea level.
2. The higher the altitude, the colder the climate.
3. The temperature decreases by 1°c for every 165 metres above the sea level.
4. Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, in Africa, is near the Equator but it is still covered with snow
because of its height above the sea level.
1) Why do people visit hill stations during the summer?
As hill stations are usually located at higher altitude, the weather in summer season is very pleasant.
As a result, people prefer to visit hill stations during summer.
2) Why does Hill stations have a pleasant weather even in summers?
Hill stations has a pleasant weather even in summers as they are situated at the foothills of the
Himalayas at a high altitude.
Give Reasons
Q.1 Places like Mumbai, Chennai or Kolkata are neither very hot nor very cold. They have
moderate but humid climate. Whereas places like Delhi and Amritsar have an extreme climate.
It is very hot in summers and very cold in winters.
A: The climate of a place also depends on how far it is from the sea. Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata
are close to sea so they have a moderate and humid climate but the places like Delhi and Amritsar
are far away from the sea therefore they have an extreme climate (very hot summers and very cold
winters).
Q2. Explain land breeze and sea breeze. How it effects the temperature of the nearby places?
A: SEA BREEZE Breeze that blows from sea towards land during the day is called sea breeze.
Land Breeze Breeze that blows towards the sea from the land, especially at night.
In summer, the cool sea breeze brings down the temperature of the area around it. In winters, the sea
is warmer than the land. So the warm breeze from the sea raises the temperature of the place along
the sea.
Q3. On May 19, 2021, India was affected by Cyclone Tauktae. Write a paragraph on the recent
Cyclone Tauktae and its impact on Mumbai and the coastal state of Gujarat.
A: Cyclone Tauktae was an extremely severe and powerful tropical cyclone in the Arabian Sea that
hit the Indian states of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Kerala. Winds ravaged the coastal areas in the
western state of Gujarat, uprooting trees and electricity poles. About 200,000 people were evacuated
across several states as the cyclone approached, bringing with it heavy rains and gusty winds.
Houses were destroyed and electricity was disrupted across several districts in these states.
Wind: Movement of air in horizontal motion.
Humidity: The amount of water vapor present in the air.
Meteorologist: The scientists who study weather and climate with the help of various instruments
and forecast the weather accurately. The satellites in the space send back the pictures which tells the
meteorologist a lot about weather all around the globe.
Direction of the wind
The direction of wind affects the temperature of a place and rainfall that it gets.
The winds blowing from the cold regions make a place cool and winds blowing from the hot regions
makes a place hot.
The winds blowing from the sea carry a lot of moisture. They make the weather humid and cause
rainfall. Places near the sea receive more rains than the places that are farther away.
Humidity
Humidity is the amount of water vapour in air. The vapour is the gaseous state of water and is
invisible. Humidity indicates the likelihood of precipitation, dew or fog.
Points to remember
The height of a place above sea level is Altitude
Places near the Equator have a hot climate.
Type of climate which is very hot in summer and very cold in winter. – Extreme climate
Mumbai has a Moderate climate. – Neither very hot nor very cold
The higher the altitude, the colder is the climate.
When the humidity is high, the rate of evaporation is reduced and the sweat does not dry.
The winds blowing from the sea make the weather humid and cause rainfall.
Humidity indicates the likelihood of precipitation ,dew or fog.
The height of an object or point in relation to sea level or ground level. – Altitude
The movement of air in horizontal motion. - Wind