Weather Flashcards
Define weather
The day to day changes in the conditions of the atmosphere
Define climate
Average conditions of the weather taken over a long period of time, usually 35 years
Name the instrument used to measure temperature and units measured in
Digital thermometer
Measured in °C
Instrument used to measure precipitation and units used.
Rain gauge
Measured in millimetres
Instrument used to measure wind direction and units
Wind vane
8 compass points
Instrument that measures wind speed and units used
Anemometer
Knots
Instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure
Barometer
Millibars
Instrument used to measure cloud types
Sight
Instrument and units of cloud cover
Sight
Oktas
Name the main cloud types
Cirus
Stratus
Cumulus
Cumulonimbus
Describe the cirrus cloud
Thin whisky white clouds
High in the sky
Contains ice crystals
Describe cumulus clouds
Low puffy and piled up
Usually indicate fair weather but can sometimes indicate rain
Describe stratus clouds
Uniform layers of cloud
Low lying
Grey colour
Describe cumulonimbus clouds
Tall fluffy grey clouds
Indicate thunderstorms and rain
How do land based stations help forecast weather
The will measure weather that people experience. Measure elements such as temperature, rainfall, mean wind speed and duration of sunshine.
How do sources of data in the air help forecast weather?
Most data is captured in digital from from space, using satellites.
What data do satellites capture?
Snowfall, wildfire locations, Doppler radar images of precipitation.
What is a satellite
A satellite is a small spacecraft that carries specific weather instruments.
What is a geostationary satellite?
A satellite which has a geostationary orbit is one which moves at the same speed as the earths rotation meaning it covers one spot.
What is a polar orbiting satellite?
Passes the same point every 12 hours provides a changing picture of the weather.
What is used at sea to measure conditions and what conditions are measured?
A buoy is used. These measure usual weather climate statistics, sea temperature, wave heights and swell.
Which factors affect climate?
Prevailing wind
Latitude
Altitude
Distance from sea
How does prevailing wind affect the climate
Prevailing wind is the most commonly experienced wind direction in a place. The wind temperature and amount of rainfall depend on where the air has come from. Places with prevailing winds from dry hot continental interiors end up with a desert climate.
How does latitude affect the climate
The further you get from the equator the colder it gets. This is due to the curvature of the Earth and angle at which sun rays hit. Places near the equator get stronger more direct concentrated radiation from the sun.
How does altitude affect climate?
Temperature drops as height above sea level increases. It decreases by 1.0°C for every 100 m you go up. The atmosphere isn’t directly heated by the sun but by the earths surface and is distributed by conduction and convection. Therefore the further away form the surface the colder the air. Air also loses temperature as the higher it is the less dense it gets meaning not as much air to hold heat.
How does distance from the sea affect climate?
The sea warms and cools at a slower rate than the land. A sea has a greater thermal capacity, and holds on to its heat. This is because it is transparent and solar energy is absorbed to greater depths. As a result sea breezes keep costal areas warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
Name the 4 air masses which affect the British isles
Polar maritime
Tropical maritime
Tropical continental
Polar continental
Characteristics of tropical maritime airmass
Direction; south-westerly
Picks up moisture from the sea surface and so brings wet weather to the British isles
Mild and wet in winter
Warm and rainy in summer
Tropical continental characteristics
Direction: south-easterly
Dry as it forms over land surfaces
Mild and dry in winter
Hot and dry in summer
More common in summer creates heatwave conditions
Polar maritime characteristics
Direction: north westerly
Wet as it picks up moisture as it travels over the arctic or North Atlantic Ocean
Cold and wet in winter
Cool and damp in summer
Rarely experienced outside winter months
Polar continental characteristics
Direction: north easterly
Dry as it comes over northern Asia land mass
Cold and dry in winter
Hot and dry in summer
Mainly affects the British isles during winter half of the year.
Name the thyphoon which hit the Philippines
Typhoon Haiyan
What was the date of Typhoon Haiyan hitting the Philippines
8th November 2013
Name impacts on people of Typhoon Haiyan
The storm caused 6190 deaths and over 1785 people were reported missing
Most deaths occurred in Tacloban
When typhoon Haiyan made landfall, 371000 people were evacuated and many ended up living in refugee centres which eventually got destroyed due to strong winds
Caused food shortages for 25 million people
Further death was caused by diseases such as cholera and dysentery due to decaying corpses and raw sewage spread by flood water contaminating water supplies
Electricity supplies were disrupted e.g Bogo was blacked out and it took weeks to restore
Name impacts on property due to Typhoon Haiyan
Five million people had homes severely damaged or destroyed
90% of all structures were wiped out across a 500 mile radius from the eye of typhoon Haiyan
Those made homeless were mainly in the western and eastern Visayas
10,390 schools were destroyed
Even newly built civic buildings could not withstand the powerful wind and high storm surge
It destroyed all but the new Bogo town hall which only had it roof torn off and a few smashed windows
Tacloban an indoor stadium with a reinforced roof was flooded killing the people sheltering inside
The main Tacloban airport was severely damaged by a 5.2 meter storm surge which reached the height of the second story
The runways were submerged by water and could not be used for landing and take off
What way does the wind blow in a depression
Anti-clockwise
