Weather Flashcards
What factors affect weather in the UK?
Latitude, Relief, Aspect and Distance from the sea.
What is Latitude?
Latitude refers to the location of a place in relation to the Equator. It is measured in degrees.
What is Relief?
Relief refers to the height and shape of the landscape.
What is Aspect?
Aspect refers to the direction that a place lies in relation to the sun.
What is Distance from the Sea?
Distance from the sea refers to the location of places either inland or along the coast.
What are the 5 main air masses that affect the UK?
Artic Maritime, Polar Maritime, Polar Continental, Tropical Maritime and Tropical Continental.
What is an air mass?
An air mass refers to a large amount of air that moves from one area to another.
What weather conditions do Artic Maritime Air Masses bring in Winter?
Very cold and snow.
What weather conditions do Artic Maritime Air Masses bring in Summer?
Cold and wet.
What weather conditions do Polar Maritime Air Masses bring in Winter?
Cool, cloudy and rain showers.
What weather conditions do Polar Maritime Air Masses bring in Summer?
Cool, cloudy and rain showers.
What weather conditions do Polar Continental Air Masses bring in Winter?
Very cold and wet (snow).
What weather conditions do Polar Continental Air Masses bring in Summer?
Hot, dry and sunny.
What weather conditions do Polar Continental Air Masses bring in Summer?
Hot, dry and sunny.
What weather conditions do Tropical Maritime Air Masses bring in Winter?
Mild and wet.
What weather conditions do Tropical Maritime Air Masses bring in Summer?
Warm and wet.
What weather conditions do Tropical Continental Air Masses bring in Winter?
Mild, dry and sunny.
What weather conditions do Tropical Continental Air Masses bring in Summer?
Very hot, dry and sunny.
What is a depression?
A depression is an area of low air pressure which moves in an easterly direction across the UK.
What are characteristics of a depression on a synoptic chart?
Isobars showing air pressure falling toward the centre from about 1004mb.
Isobars which are close together.
Weather fronts - both warm and cold.
Likely occluded fronts.
What forms a warm front?
When a warm air mass meets a cold air mass.
What type of clouds are present in a warm front?
Nimbostratus Clouds.
What weather do warm fronts bring?
Steady, continuous rainfall.
How is a cold front formed?
Cold air meets warm air and the cold air pushes the warm air upwards.
What type of clouds are present in a cold front?
Cumulonimbus Clouds.
What type of weather do cold fronts bring?
Heavy rainfall.
What are the features of an anticyclone on a synoptic chart?
Isobars showing pressure increasing outwards from the centre and above 1008mb.
Widely spaced isobars.
No fronts/clouds.
No rain due to lack of clouds.
