1

Last week, we Last week, we looked at rain, looked at rain,

wind and cloudswind and clouds

This week we are going This week we are going to look at weather in to look at weather in

different parts of the UKdifferent parts of the UK

2

But first we need But first we need to think about to think about

what makes one what makes one place different place different from anotherfrom another

3

4

Also air from the sea has more water vapour in it, so it tends to be wetter than inland – remember relief rainfall from last week

5

What is it like to live by the sea?What is it like to live by the sea?

Is it likely to be wetter or drier? Why?

Will winters be warmer or cooler? Why?

6

The next bit is quite hard …The next bit is quite hard …

So if you do not understand it, don’t worry about it.The only thing you need to get out of it is that there is a temperature difference between places near the equator and places near the North and South Pole.The next couple of slides explain why that is – but as I said – if you find it too confusing, don’t worry about it.But I thought I had better explain, otherwise some picky soul would be sure to ask why if I didn’t!

7

8

So there are 2 So there are 2 reasons why it colder reasons why it colder at the poles than the at the poles than the

equator?equator?

What are they?What are they?

9

This diagram shows how (a) the earth is This diagram shows how (a) the earth is tilted and (b) how it moves around the tilted and (b) how it moves around the

sunsun

10

Tilt of the Earth’s axis towards or away from the sun creates the seasons

Earth’s Seasons

North Pole

Earth

When the north pole tilts toward thesun, it gets more radiation – more warmth

during the summer

SUMMER (Northern Hemisphere)

South Pole

WINTER (Southern Hemisphere)

When the north pole tilts toward thesun, the south pole tilts away

So when it’s summer in the north, it’s winter in the south

Equator

11

Earth’s Seasons

When the north pole tilts away from the sun, it gets less

radiation So it’s colder during the winter

North Pole

Earth

WINTER (Northern Hemisphere)

South Pole

SUMMER (Southern Hemisphere)

When the north pole tilts away from thesun, the south pole tilts toward it…

When it’s winter in the north, it’s summer in the south

Equator

12

Britain’s ClimateBritain’s Climate

Britain’s Climate is:Variable - it changes from day to dayTemperate – there are never extremese.g it is never too anything [hot, dry, wet, cold]Maritime- proximity to ocean affects our weather

Britain is renowned for cool summers and mild winters.

13

Temperatures in BritainTemperatures in BritainAverage JULY

Temperatures across the UK

Those little lines are called isothermsIso means equalTherm refers to temperatureSo isotherms are lines of equal temperatureWhat do you notice about the average July? Why is that?

14

Average JANUARY Temperatures across the UK

What do you notice about the isotherms in January?Why do you think that might be?What do you know about the sea cooling and warming up?

15

In fact it could be said that we have 4 climates! Imagine a line from north to south through the centre of the country, this is the 5-degree Celsius January isotherm; and another from west to east, again through the centre, is the 15-degree Celsius July isotherm. We’ve now spilt the country into 4 quarters, each having its own characteristic temperature, rainfall and patterns of seasonal change.

16

Where does it Where does it rain?rain?

The 2 dark blue colours is where there is more than 1300mm of rain a year.How many cm tall are you? Where would that amount of rain come up to?What do you notice about where the dark blue bits are?Any ideas why?The brownest areas are where? What does that mean?

17

Why is it wetter in parts of the UK?Why is it wetter in parts of the UK?

It is wetter in the west because our prevailing wind is SW ( along with the gulf stream)SW winds come across the Atlantic, picking up lots of water vapour as they travel.But why do the clouds seem to drop most of it when they hit the land? Do you remember what that kind of rainfall is called?

18

And this is the difference it can And this is the difference it can makemake

19

So in summarySo in summary

Comparing us with say Belgium or Northern GermanyGreat Britain is cooler in the Summer, warmer in the Winter, and much wetter in the West.

20

Cold winters (<50C) and cool summers and drier

Cold winters and warm summers and drier

Mild winters (>50C) and cool summers (<150C) & wetter

Mild winters and warm summers (>150C) and wetter

If >800 mm it is wet

Blue line is 50C Jan line, E

is colder

The red line is the 150C

average July temp. S is warmer

21

In your atlas on pages 12/13 you see lots In your atlas on pages 12/13 you see lots of graphs like this. What do you think it of graphs like this. What do you think it

shows?shows?

22

Now I could do graphs Now I could do graphs like that for the UK – like that for the UK –

but they are a bit but they are a bit confusingconfusing

As everywhere in the UK gets rain all year in about equal measure – it is just the total that varies, we are going to look at slightly different

graphs

23

Where do you think this is?Where do you think this is?

January temperature? July Temperature? Rainfall?

24

Where do you think this is?Where do you think this is?

January temperature? July Temperature? Rainfall?

25

Where do you think this is?Where do you think this is?

January temperature? July Temperature? Rainfall?

26

Where do you think this is?Where do you think this is?

January temperature? July Temperature? Rainfall?

27

The answersThe answers

AA

BB

DD

CC

28

HomeworkHomeworkYou will have 4 graphs and a map showing 4 places.You have to choose which graph goes with which place and explain why you think that.

Place Graph Why?