Weather And Climate
Weather
The atmosphere changes from time to time. It is cooler in the morning and warmer in
the afternoon. You can see the change in the atmosphere almost every hour. The atmospheric changes that occur over a short period of time are called weather.
Sometimes the weather changes very suddenly. It may be warm at one time, and in a short while, it may start to rain. Sometimes, the wind starts to blow. These changes take place from day-to-day and hour-to-hour. The weather indicates whether it is sunny or cloudy, rainy or windy, cold or hot at a particular point of time.
Climate
The monsoon season is characterized by rainfall, while autumn season is windy. Summer season is typically hot, while winter season is cold. These weather patterns represent the climate, which is the average weather conditions over an extended period. Although a particular day may not be as cold or rainy as others, the climate remains predominantly cold or rainy.
Thus, the condition of the atmosphere at one point of time is weather, while the aggregate of it over a long period of time is called climate.
India experiences three primary seasons - winter, summer, and rainy - making it a monsoon type of climate. The climate of a region has a significant impact on the lifestyles of the people residing there, including their clothing, eating habits, and occupations. Climate is influenced by multiple factors.
Factors Influencing the Climate
Following are the factors which influence the climate of a place:
1. Distance from the Equator
You have read that the areas around the Equator receive direct sunlight, so they are hot. Similarly, the areas around the poles receive slanting sunlight, so they are cold. The nearer a place is to the Equator, the hotter it is. The farther a place is from the Equator, the colder it is. For example, in Asia, South India and Sri Lanka are located near the Equator, so they are hot. On the other hand, Kazakhstan and Russia are located away from the Equator, so they are cold.
2. Altitude above the Sea-level
The altitude or height of a place affects its temperature and air pressure. The air at the sea level is dense, so it absorbs more heat from the sunlight; while the air at higher places is thin, so it absorbs less heat. Therefore, mountains are colder than plains. For example, Rajasthan is hot, but Mount Abu in this state is colder because it is located at a high altitude. Similarly, hill stations like Srinagar and Darjeeling are colder than laces like Delhi and Chennai.
3. Distance from the Sea
Land heats up and cools down quickly. On the other hand, water takes time to heat and cool. So, the land in coastal areas heats up during the day and cools down at night quickly. In comparison, the sea water takes time to heat up in the day but it stays warm for long at night also. This heats up or cools down the air.
Hot air is lighter than cold air, causing it to rise and create a low-pressure area. During the daytime, when the land heats up rapidly, the warm air rises and creates a gap. This gap is filled by the cooler air rushing in from the sea.
This trend reverses at night. The air over the sea is hot, so it rises creating low pressure
area, so the air from the land rushes to the sea area. This phenomenon results in winds in the coastal areas. These winds are called breezes.
These winds from the sea and the land are called sea breezes and land breezes respectively. If you go near the seacoast, you will find the wind blowing all the time. The tides occur in the sea owing to these breezes.
These breezes moderate the climate near the sea. This is the reason that Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai have a moderate climate because they are located near the seacoast.
The places located away from the sea have no such effect, so they have an extreme climate. So, Delhi and Chandigarh have an extreme climate. Extreme climate means that it is either too cold or too hot there.
4. Direction of Winds
The temperature of the wind depends on the temperature of the place it blows from; a wind from a cold place cools the surroundings, while a wind from a hot place warms it up. Moist winds blowing from the sea bring rainfall, whereas dry winds from arid regions dry out the area. The loo, a dry and warm wind from northern India, heats and dries the northern plains. Conversely, the monsoon winds blowing from the sea bring much-needed rainfall.
5. Location of Mountain Ranges
The mountain range at a place too influences the climate of a place. Icy winds blow in central Asia, but the Himalayas do not allow them to cross over to India, so India is not as cold as Tibet. On the other hand, the Himalayas check the monsoon winds from going over to central Asia, and this brings rainfall to India.
Climatic Zones
You have read in this book that there are three heat zones in the world. They are also called the climatic zones, as they determine the climate of the world.
1. Torrid Zone: The very hot zone is called Torrid Zone. This area receives direct sunlight from the sun, so it remains hot throughout the year.
2. Frigid Zone: The very cold zone is called Frigid Zone. There are two frigid zones, called North Frigid Zone and South Frigid Zone. As sunlight is very slanting here, this area remains almost frozen throughout the year.
3. Temperature Zone: The moderate zone is called Temperate Zone. There are two temperate zones, called North Temperate Zone and South Temperate Zone. This area is neither too hot nor too cold, as the sunlight is slightly slanting in this area.
Weather Forecast
If we know the coming weather, we can get ready for this. For example, if you know that it will rain today, you can carry a raincoat. Predicting the weather is called weather forecast. It is carried by almost all newspapers and news channels.
The district has a meteorological department that predicts the weather for the upcoming days. Satellites are used to make a weather forecast, which includes details such as temperature, wind speed, cloud cover, humidity, and more.