1 - Extreme Weather and Climate

Question 1

Weather (general description)

Answer 1

Short-term variations in the atmosphere (mins, hrs, days)
Current state of the atmosphere
Relation to is effect upon life and human activities
Does NOT depend on climate

Question 2

Weather (examples)

Answer 2

Temperature
Humidity
Precipitation
Cloudiness
Visibility
Wind

Question 3

Climate (general description)

Answer 3

Slowly varying aspects of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, land surface system
Long-term variations in the atmosphere (years, decades, centuries)
Meaning: the average of weather over some time period and geographic region
Depends on weather

Question 4

Weather and climate (differences)

Answer 4

Weather: can be directly measured in instruments
Climate: can ONLY be calculated from measurements

Question 5

Weather and climate (similarities)

Answer 5

Modelled using numerical models
Important for human activity and wellbeing
Both are changing and can be modified

Question 6

What is extreme weather/climate?

Impacts? (low, moderate, high)

Answer 6

Extreme: climate/weather that can produce some kind of problems/inconveniences for people, society, infrastructures, or the environment

Low impact: minor inconveniences, small and/or local economic losses
Moderate impact: minor damages, some social disruptions, potential risk to health
High impact: deaths/injuries, broad economic impact and potential catastrophic losses, major social disruptions

Question 7

Who is impacted and how?

Answer 7

People
Society
Economy
Environment

Question 8

People

Answer 8

Who: (health, families, lifestyles)
How: (property damage, death, injuries)

Question 9

Society

Answer 9

Who: (communities, businesses, services)
How: (loss of power/water, emergency response, closure of schools)

Question 10

Economy

Answer 10

Who: (transportation, agriculture, recreation)
How: (inflation, loss of consumers, reduced quality of goods)

Question 11

Environment

Answer 11

Who: (atmosphere, water, land)
How: (reduced air quality, erosion, water/land contamination)

Question 12

Very dry (extreme climate)

Answer 12

Desert of Atacama (Chile)
Around 1mm of rain per year
Known as the driest place on Earth

Question 13

Very wet (extreme climate)

Answer 13

Mawsynram and Kalkata, India
Around 11,872mm of rain per year
Indian Monsoon main reason to the amount of precipitation