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Weather and climate

A climate illustration showing the Earth, a sun, rain, drought, an iceberg, polar bear and a thermometer

Weather is the day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere.

Climate is a long-term pattern of weather which happens over many years in a specific area.

A climate illustration showing the Earth, a sun, rain, drought, an iceberg, polar bear and a thermometer

Watch: Learn how weather and climate affect UK cities

Find out how flooding affects North Yorkshire.

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Location and climate

Each of the world鈥檚 regions has a specific climate and it depends on:

  • how far away it is from the coasts and oceans

  • its altitude - how high it is above sea level

  • its latitude - how far away a region is from the Equator. In other words how far north or south somewhere is.

This affects climate because the Equator gets much more heat from the Sun than the North Pole and South Pole, because of the shape of the Earth. The Equator is closer to the Sun, which means that the rays from the Sun don't fall evenly on Earth.

Map of the world showing the Arctic zone in the north, Antarctic in the south and the Mid-latitudes zones in between with the tropical zone and equator going through the middle.
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The UK climate

The UK is in a temperate climate zone, which means that there are four seasons.

The winters are cool and wet, and the summers are warm and wet; temperatures usually stay mild with rare extremes.

The climate of the UK is mainly influenced by:

ocean currents of different temperatures

cold air travelling from the polar regions

鈥 western wind that brings moisture.

A map of the UK showing temperature & moisture movements responsible for the climate.

The mountains in the north and west of the UK force the wind to rise and cool, which results in more clouds and rain. That is why Northern Ireland, Wales and the western parts of England and Scotland are the regions with the most wind and rain.

This is because of the altitude, which is how high somewhere is above sea level. When an area has high altitude, there is lower air pressure which creates cooler temperatures.

In the summer, hot air from Africa often reaches the south-east of England, which is generally a warmer region.

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Extreme weather and its effect on people

Sometimes, there can be extreme weather events, which can have a great impact on people鈥檚 lives and the ecosystem in the area. Some of them are:

Droughts
The Derwant Valley Aquaduct and the Ladybower reservoir in Derbyshire during a drought.
Image caption,
Droughts are dry periods when there is a lot less water than usual.
Heatwaves
Closeup of a wooden thermometer against green foliage showing high temperature.
Image caption,
Heatwaves are when temperatures are much higher than usual for three or more days.
Flooding
Aerial photo of Allerton Bywater near Leeds showing a house and field surrounded by water after flooding.
Image caption,
Floods happen when land that is usually dry becomes covered in water.
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Droughts

When do droughts happen?

Droughts happen when there is little or no rain or snow for a long period of time.

This can happen because of changes in the winds that bring the rain or ocean currents, which affects the temperature and moisture of the air.

What are the effects?

  • Plants and animals can die because of lack of water

  • The land is dry and more in danger of wildfires

  • Crops in the fields can die, which affects the food supply

  • Rivers shrink and sometimes completely dry out

  • Reservoir levels are low, which means that they cannot be used to provide water to homes.

An illustration of an area in drought with cracked earth and dying trees.
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Heatwaves

When do they happen?

Heatwaves are when a location has periods of at least three days with higher temperatures than usual. They happen because of changes in air pressure. There is more in the atmosphere which makes heatwaves more likely to happen.

What are the effects?

  • People and animals鈥 lives can be in danger

  • The heat can damage roads and railways, used to transport water, food and even energy

  • Heatwaves can start wildfires and droughts.

A parasol on a sunny beach.
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Floods

When do they happen?

Floods happen when water overflows onto land. This can be because of a long period of heavy rain, sudden heavy rain or even by a broken dam. Sometimes, floods are also caused by earthquakes or tsunamis.

What are the effects?

  • People and animals can die

  • 成人快手s and buildings are destroyed

  • The floods can bring pollution and debris with them, which then affects the environment

  • The habitats of animals can be destroyed.

An illustration of a storm with hurricanes
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Human activity and how it impacts weather and climate

Cartoon image showing rising temperatures, melting icecaps and polar bears losing habitat.

Extreme weather, such as floods, hurricanes and heatwaves, are becoming more frequent in the UK.

One of the reasons is climate change and the rising temperature of the Earth.

Climate change is caused by both nature and humans.

Greenhouse gases play a big part in global warming as they stop the heat leaving the Earth.

Greenhouse gases are released:

  • during the burning of fossil fuels to power cars and make electricity

  • from fridges and aerosol cans

  • from and waste

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Activity

Quiz: Weather and climate

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