Key questions

  • What is weather and where does it happen?
  • What is the difference between weather and climate?
  • Why is weather and weather forecasting important for human activity?

1. Weather vs Climate
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  1. Make sure you can give definitions for both weather and climate in your own words.
  2. What is weather? Where does it happen?
  3. What is the difference between weather and climate?

2. What are the different aspects of the weather?

Find out what is meant by each of the following. For each you should explain what it is and how it is measured. Use the links on the left to help:
  • Air temperature
  • Precipitation
  • Wind speed
  • Wind direction
  • Visibility
  • Humidity
  • Sunshine
  • Cloud type
  • Cloud cover
Now use what you have learned to create a spider diagram showing the different aspects of weather. Your diagram should take a hole page in your book and you need to devise a symbol for each aspect as well as describing it in a single sentence.

3. Why is the weather important for decision makers?



​Start by talking with one or two other people. Discuss how the weather affects human behaviour every day. You could think about:
  • Clothing
  • Activities we do (or don't do)
  • How we design our homes
  • Sport and leisure
  • Food
These are just a start though - what else could you consider?
Now think about how the weather will affect people who make decisions.

For example, if you were the principal of a school you might have to plan in many ways: What will you do if there is a thunderstorm on sports day? How much money do you need to pay for the electricity needed for air conditioning? Do you have a plan to close the school if there is a typhoon (or a snowstorm)? Do you have enough water dispensers to keep your students hydrated in hot weather?

Other decision makers will need to make plans due to the weather as well. Choose one or two of those listed below and think carefully about how the weather will affect their planning and decisions. Explain how in your own words...
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  • The manager of a theme park with lots of high adrenalin rides
  • The manager of a supermarket 
  • A local planner who is responsible for road traffic
  • A train driver
  • The boss of the Wimbledon tennis tournament
  • The pilot of an Airbus A380
  • A farmer 
  • An employee of FEMA (look it up!!)
  • The boss of an ice-cream factory
  • The CEO of a large insurance company
  • A football manager
  • The boss of a major water park
  • A professional golfer