The difference between climate and weather lies in the time scale of each. Weather is a momentary state of the atmosphere at a specific location, while climate is the average of weather variations over a long period.
The weather can change at any moment, while the climate are patterns that tend to repeat themselves. For example, when we say that it is raining now in São Paulo, we are referring to the weather. If we say that in São Paulo it always rains in January, we are referring to the weather.
| Climate | Time | |
|---|---|---|
| What is it | It is the average weather condition at a given location, measured over a long period. | It is the state of the atmosphere in a location at a given time. |
| timescale | Long term. It is usually set after 30 years of observation. | Short term, defined on a scale of hours, days or weeks. |
| Forecast | Climatology. | Meteorology. |
| Variation | They are repeating patterns. | It can change at any time. |
| Ratings | Warm climates, temperate climates and cold climates. | The weather can be classified as sunny, cloudy, rainy, partially sunny, among others. |
| Example | It is usually sunny in Brasilia in the month of January. |
Today it rained during the morning in Rio de Janeiro, but in the afternoon it was sunny. |
what is time
Weather refers to the momentary state of the atmosphere at a given place and time. Some of its meteorological variables are air temperature, humidity, wind, precipitation and cloud cover, among others.
Examples:
- The news reported that today it snowed heavily in Canada;
- It was sunny all week in Goiás.
what is weather
Climate, in turn, refers to the conditions of the atmosphere over a longer period. It is an average of time at a given location.
Examples:
- Every year-end is very sunny in Brasilia;
- The climate of Rio de Janeiro is tropical.
The weather and climate forecast
The forecast and analysis of atmospheric weather is done by meteorology, which is the study of the immediate behavior of the atmosphere.
Weather forecasts measure how the weather will be in the short term, informing whether it will be sunny or rainy today, tomorrow or during the week.
Climate forecasting is done by climatology, which uses a set of data collected by meteorologists to perform an average, reaching more definitive conclusions about the atmosphere in certain region.
The definition of the climate of each region depends on decades of study, analyzing the most common types of weather, and their distribution during the year.
Weather and climate elements
The weather and climate of a given region depend on elements such as temperature, precipitation, air pressure and winds.
- Temperature is the amount of heat present in the atmosphere;
- Precipitation is the amount of water that falls on the earth's surface, usually in the form of rain, snow or hail;
- Atmospheric pressure is the weight exerted by the air on a given point on Earth. This pressure varies according to regions and their altitudes;
- Wind is air in motion, which forms from the difference in air pressure between locations.
These elements vary from place to place, due to factors such as latitude, altitude, mountains, and prevailing wind direction.
types of weather
The types of climate are generally defined as a function of temperatures and rainfall. They can be classified into Hot, Tempered and Cold.
hot climates
- Hot weather is frequent in the regions between the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn. It is characterized by always high temperatures;
- The equatorial climate is characterized by abundant and regularly distributed rainfall throughout the year;
- In the tropical climate there are also abundant rains, but they are concentrated in the summer;
- The desert climate exists in both hot and temperate regions. It is characterized by little rain and great variation in temperature throughout the day, with cold nights and very hot days.
temperate climates
Type of climate that extends between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle and between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle. It is the predominant climate in Europe, and has very well defined seasons, with great variation in temperature and rainfall.
- The oceanic or Atlantic climate has mild temperatures and heavy rainfall throughout the year;
- The continental climate has cold and long winters, with temperatures below 0ºC. Its summers are short and with mild temperatures;
- The Mediterranean climate is characterized by long, hot summers and short winters;
- The subtropical climate is known for abundant rainfall in summer and mild temperatures.
cold climates
Found in regions of high altitudes or high mountains.
- In the polar climate, which has the lowest temperatures on Earth, there is little rainfall and the temperature is generally below 10°C;
- The high mountain climate is very low in winter and mild in summer. The rains are more frequent and in winter they usually occur in the form of snow.
See also the difference between:
- solstice and equinox
- parallel and meridian
- heat and temperature
- Greenhouse effect and global warming
- geographic concepts
