| The principal difference between weather and | | | | lives and infrastructure, weather bureaus monitor |
| climate is the measure of time. The weather is | | | | day to day weather events to provide sufficient |
| the description of conditions over a short time | | | | time for action to be taken to reduce their |
| period and in a localized area or region. In contrast | | | | impact. This is not always possible as there is |
| climate describes the sum of weather conditions | | | | always an element of weather forecasting that |
| over an extended period of time. It tells the | | | | cannot be accurately predicted. |
| average or most likely conditions that are | | | | Climate is essentially the description of weather |
| expected for that day by drawing inferences on | | | | patterns over long periods of time. It is generally |
| what has been recorded in the past. When you | | | | defined as the average weather in a particular |
| are asked to describe the difference between | | | | region over a period of thirty years. When |
| weather and climate it is helpful to remember that | | | | studying the climate scientists consider the |
| climate is what you expect, such as a hot | | | | averages of temperature, precipitation, humidity, |
| summer, and weather is what you actually get, a | | | | sunshine and wind velocity. Studying the climate is |
| wet mild summer. | | | | important as climate change has implications for |
| Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving at | | | | humans, animals and plants. |
| any given time, measured by the minute, hour, | | | | Humans have been monitoring climate patterns |
| day or week. When people consider the weather | | | | for sometime, however it is also possible to |
| they usually refer to temperature, precipitation, | | | | determine changes to the planets' climate further |
| humidity, cloudiness, brightness, wind, and whether | | | | back then historical records. Ice core data has |
| atmospheric pressure is low or high. A low | | | | been used to show fluctuations in the earths' |
| pressure system generally results in cloudy, wet | | | | climate for the last 800 000 years, aiding |
| and windy conditions. Alternatively, a high pressure | | | | meteorologists in their prediction of future climatic |
| system is associated with clear, calm conditions. | | | | conditions. This data has also allowed scientists to |
| Components of the weather include sunshine, rain, | | | | demonstrate the rapid changes to the climate |
| clouds, wind, snow, thunderstorms, ice storms and | | | | observed in the last two hundred years, leading |
| heat wave. To warn people of impending weather | | | | them to conclude that it is primarily human |
| conditions, particularly those that could endanger | | | | induced. |