Weather and Weather Maps - Physical Environments

Question 1

What is the technical term for a weather map

Answer 1

A synoptic chart

Question 2

Define the term ‘weather’

Answer 2

When we describe our weather we refer to the temperature,
rainfall and sometimes the windspeed, sunshine, cloud,
visibility and other elements as well. All these elements
describe the condition of our atmosphere.

Question 3

Define the term ‘climate’

Answer 3

Because the weather
conditions change so often, we need to refer to the average
temperature, rainfall and so on when comparing different
places. Together, the average weather conditions are called the
climate, which varies across the UK.

Question 4

What 4 factors affect temperatures in the UK?

Answer 4

• Aspect
• Relief
• Distance from the Sea
• Latitude

Question 5

Define the term ‘Aspect’

Answer 5

Aspect is the direction in which the
land faces.

Question 6

Define the term ‘Relief’

Question 7

Define the term ‘Distance from the Sea’

Question 8

Define the term ‘ Latitude?

Answer 8

Latitude describes how far a place is from the equator.

Question 9

How does latitude affect the temperature across the UK?

Answer 9

Latitude describes how far a place is from the equator. The
Shetland Isles are more than 10° further from the equator
than the south coast of England. The Sun’s rays bring less
heat to the Shetland Isles than England’s south coast because:
- They are at a lower angle and pass through more atmosphere.
Here they lose heat among clouds and gas and dust.
- Being at a lower angle they spread
out over a wider area, so there is
less heat at any particular point
As a result the Shetland Isles are over
4°C colder than the south coast of
England.

Question 10

How does relief affect the temperature across the UK?

Answer 10

Temperatures decrease by
1°C for every 100 metres
in height, on average. The
highest mountains in the Scottish Highlands are over 1000 metres high, making
them 10°C colder than lowland areas.

Question 11

How does aspect affect the temperature across the UK?

Answer 11

The Sun rises in the east. In the middle
of the day it is in the south. It is now at
its highest angle and giving out the most
heat, before it finally sets each day in the
west.
Aspect is the direction in which the
land faces. Places facing south
(a southerly aspect) are
warmer than those facing
north because:
- they receive more heat
from the Sun when it is
in the south and at its
warmest
- they are sheltered from
cold northerly winds.

Question 12

How does the distance from the sea affect the temperature across the UK?

Answer 12

In winter it is warmer in the west of the UK. This is because:
- the Atlantic Ocean is milder than the land surface because water cools down
more slowly than land
- a warm ocean current (called the North Atlantic Drift) makes the temperatures
even milder
- our prevailing winds come from the south-west and so they bring warmth
from the Atlantic to the UK.
In summer it is cooler in the west. This is because the Atlantic Ocean is now
cooler than the land surface as it takes longer to heat up.

Question 13

Name the 3 factors that affect rainfall in the UK

Answer 13

• Relief
• Aspect
• Distance from the Sea

Question 14

How does relief affect the rainfall in the UK?

Answer 14

The height of the land affects rainfall as well as temperature. Upland areas
receive more rain than lowland areas, as shown in Figure 3.3. This is because:
South coast of
England 50 °N
passes through
less atmosphere
Sun’s angle 30 °
Sun’s
angle 40 °
Sun’s rays focused
on a small area
Sun’s rays spread
over a wide area
passes through
more atmosphere
Shetland Isles
60 °N
Figure 3.1
How latitude affects temperature
Cold wind from
the north
North-facing slopes are in
the shadow of the Sun
when it is at its hottest
SOUTH NORTH
Classrooms facing south
get the most heat and light
At noon the Sun is at its
highest angle and gives
the most heat
South-facing slopes face
the Sun when it is at
its hottest
Figure 3.2
How aspect affects temperature

ur wtr 11
3
■■ moist air (containing
a lot of water vapour)
blows from the
Atlantic Ocean and
reaches hills
- the air rises over the
hills and cools down
- as it cools down
the water vapour
condenses into liquid
droplets
- clouds form as
millions of droplets condense
- the water droplets become bigger and fall as rain.

Question 15

How does Aspect affect the rainfall in the UK?

Answer 15

The hillsides which face the moist winds
receive the most rain. In the UK these are the
west-facing slopes because the Atlantic Ocean is to
the west. On the other side of the hill (the leeward
side) the air sinks and warms up. Very little water
vapour will condense so there are fewer clouds and
less rain. This is called a rainshadow area.

Question 16

How does the distance from the sea affect the rainfall in the UK?

Answer 16

Most of the water vapour in our air has evaporated
from the Atlantic Ocean. So the winds that reach
the west coast are usually full of water vapour and
bring a lot of rain. As the winds move eastwards
they drop most of their water and so they bring
less rain to places further east.

Question 17

Places nearer to the equator receive the Sun’s rays at a higher angle. Explain in detail how this
makes them warmer.

Question 18

Choosing from north, south, east and west, which aspect is:
(a) warmest
(b) wettest
(c) driest
(d) coldest?

Question 19

Draw a labelled diagram to explain why it rains more at the top of a hill than at the bottom.

Question 20

Summarise the differences in the UK’s weather between the west coast and the east coast.

Question 21

I live near Stirling in central Scotland.
My cousin also lives in Scotland at
exactly the same latitude and both of
us are almost at sea level. So why are
her summers warmer than mine?

Question 22

A long-distance race is taking place
across the North-West Highlands. The cross-section above (Figure 3.4) shows the route. It is 100km
long and runners take five days, covering 20km each day.
One runner wrote a brief diary each day.
1. Match her comments to the day when she was most likely to make them.
(a) ‘Today was the day when I was told I would need to put on sun block.’
(b) ‘No crops, no cows, no people, just sheep!’
(c) ‘Needed a waterproof jacket today but it was too warm to wear one.’
(d) ‘When I started this morning, the Sun was in my eyes.’
(e) ‘It was 5°C colder this morning than yesterday; local people say that is usual here.’
(f) ‘I passed some palm trees on my run; I thought I was in the tropics. It’s because of the North
Atlantic Drift, apparently.’
(g) ‘This was the wettest day. It’s like this every time I do this race.’

Question 23

Question 24

Define the term ‘air masses’

Answer 24

An air mass is a large body of air in which the
temperature, humidity and pressure are very similar.
Air masses can be cold or warm, moist or dry. When they
travel over the UK they bring their weather characteristics with
them. Several different air masses affect the UK
which is why our weather is so changeable

Question 25

Define the term ‘air pressure’

Answer 25

The temperatures and rainfall we receive depend on
air pressure. Air pressure is the weight of the air (atmosphere)
on the land. It changes depending on whether the air is rising
(low pressure) or sinking (high pressure). Areas with low
pressure have very different weather from areas with high
pressure. The
reason why they bring different weather is because they
contain different air masses.

Question 26

What are the 5 air masses that affect the UK?

Answer 26

Tropical maritime (Tm)
- Tropical continental (Tc)
- Polar maritime (Pm)
- Polar continental (Pc)
- Arctic maritime (Am). (There is no Arctic continental air mass.)
Each of these air masses has its own characteristic features.

Question 27

Diagram shows the weather conditions in 3 locations on the map: Locations: Norwich Stranraer Inverness

Match the weather station circles, A, B and C with the correct location (3).

Question 28

Using the synoptic chart, give reasons for the changes which will take place in the weather in Inverness over the next 24 hours (5)