Climate weather

• Global atmospheric circulation influences areas with different pressure systems: high pressure makes the air heavier and denser, leading to sinking air and anticyclones, while low pressure results in rising air and cyclones
• Types of rainfall include:

  • Relief rainfall
  • Convectional rainfall
  • Frontal rainfall
• Relief rainfall occurs when moist air is forced to rise over a hill from the coast, cools, condenses, and forms clouds where drops are released
• Convectional rainfall happens when the sun heats the surface, warm air rises, cools, condenses, and cumulonimbus clouds form, leading to precipitation
• Frontal rainfall is when warm and cold air masses meet, causing the warm air to rise, cool, condense, and form precipitation
• Wind direction can be measured using a wind vane or an arrow pointing in the direction the wind blows
• Air pressure is measured using a barometer, where air pressure changes with height; a hygrometer measures humidity as a percentage
• The water cycle involves evaporation from seas and lakes, condensation forming clouds, and precipitation where water droplets fall back to the surface
• Air masses are influenced by temperature and humidity, with categories like equatorial, polar, and Arctic air masses affecting weather patterns
• Different UK climate zones include:

  • Arid zones with high air pressure and little rainfall
  • Equatorial regions with high temperatures and rainfall
  • Mediterranean climates with hot summers and little frost
• Latitude is the angular distance north or south of the Earth's equator, affecting how quickly an area heats up or cools down
• The UK climate is described as mild with wet winters and warm, wet summers, influenced by its maritime location and the sea reducing temperature differences between seasons
• Climate is described as the average weather conditions over a long period of 30 years, influenced by factors like latitude, prevailing winds, altitude, and distance from the sea