We have all heard the terms weather and climate, but do we understand what they mean? You would be surprised to hear how many people are unfamiliar with these two widely used terms. I was included in that group of people. I have taken the time to gather some information and simplified it into a single article in the hope to educate people on Weather And Climate. A lot of the information in this article comes from a report by Pearson Canada School.

What is weather?

Weather is a term used to describe a specific environmental condition that occurs at a specific place at a specific time.

These conditions include air pressure, temperature, cloud cover, and precipitation. When you hear a report on the morning news during a hot summer day, you may recall they only state if the day is sunny and warm, which are specific weather characteristics for the specific day in the specific place. The average person cares most about the weather, because it is easy to follow, and has relevance to our day-to-day lives. It is more immediate and prominent and happens immediately. Also, weather is much easier to predict than climate is. Climate reports are different altogether, and should not be mixed up with weather.

What is climate?

Climate, unlike weather, is the average weather conditions over a prolonged period.

Climate also applies to a specific region. When climate is described, it is displayed as the average of weather conditions including wind speeds, temperature, and precipitation. Usually, the average person does not care all that much about climate. Although, climate has a huge effect on the lives of organisms, our ecosystem, upcoming weather, and what we currently know about global warming.

Some major factors of climate are latitude, elevation, the air masses that flow over the area, and the area’s nearness to large Bodies Of Water.

In retrospect, weather is the immediate environmental conditions in a specific environment. The characteristics include temperature, precipitation, and cloud cover. Climate on the other hand is the average weather condition over a prolonged period.

It is specific to regions, and can be related to latitude, elevation the air masses that flow over the area, and the area’s nearness to large bodies of water. Next time you listen to a weather report, pay attention to it, and predict how it may affect climate. Hopefully this article broadens your comprehension of the two commonly used terms that can benefit you in your Day To Day life.
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