Weather And Climate Flashcards
To work effectively, where do wind vanes have to be?
On the top of a roof, and must be free from any shelter from chimneys or nearby buildings
Where is the best place to take a wind speed reading?
On top of a roof, avoiding shelter
If an anemometer is hand held, where must it be held and why?
High above the observers head to make sure the flow of the cups is not disrupted in any way
What is the one problem with an anemometer?
It usually take more than 10 knots of air flow to make sure the reading is accurate
When is polar continental more prevalent?
In winter rather than summer
Where does polar continental originate from?
Northern Europe
What does polar continental produce?
Very cold conditions in the winter and milder conditions in the summer
When is polar continental air unstable?
In the winter and can bring snow showers along the east coast of England
What does polar continental bring?
Dry yet cool conditions with stratus clouds
Where does tropical continental affect and when?
The British isles and usually only in the summer
Where does tropical continental air travel from?
North Africa and the Mediterranean
What kind of weather can tropical continental bring?
Very warm and dry air from the south/south east coast. It can cause thunderstorms if temperatures rise
What conditions does tropical continental bring in winter and summer?
In summer it brings mild conditions in winter and hot in summer
Where is polar maritime most common
In the British isles
Where does polar maritime come from?
North America and reaches U.K from west/north west
What type of air does polar maritime produce?
Unstable air which creates cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds
What can polar maritime cause in the summer months?
Conventional rainfall
Where is tropical maritime most common in?
The British Isles
Where does tropical maritime travel from?
Warm southern Atlantic Oceans
Where does tropical maritime move over?
The south west of the British isles
What time of conditions do tropical maritime bring in summer and winter?
Mild conditions in winter and warm conditions in summer
What type of weather does tropical maritime bring?
Dull skies, drizzle and fog
What is air pressure?
The weight of air resting on the earths surface
What units is air pressure measured in?
Millibars (mb)
What will cause differences in air pressure?
Differences in temperature
When does low pressure occur?
When air becomes warmer the air molecules become lighter and it rises
What happens to the air when it’s at low pressure?
It rises, cools, condenses, clouds form and rain
When does high pressure occur?
When air becomes colder, the air molecules contract, become denser, heavier and sink towards the earth
What happens to the air when it’s at high pressure?
It sinks, warms up, no condensation, no clouds and no rain
