The main elements of weather and climate are precipitation, humidity, temperature, atmospheric pressure and meteorological phenomena. Sometimes these elements can seem interchangeable and in order to distinguish them properly it is important to understand what each element is.
Precipitation is the term given to any water that falls to the Earth from overhead cloud formations. It is considered as an element of weather when determining if rivers or creek levels will rise or to decide if outdoor activities are suitable of not. When considered as an element of climate, precipitation is a long term factor of a region’s make up that is predictable, e.g. A desert may experience a storm (weather) but still remains a typically dry area (climate). Humidity is considered as the measurable amount of moisture that is in the air of the lower atmosphere. Within weather, it makes the days feel hotter and can be used to predict storms. As an element of the climate, humidity is the prolonged moisture level of a whole area that can affect entire ecosystems.
The element of temperature is the measurement of how hot or cold a region is. As an element of weather, temperature can change throughout the day but typically falls within predictable highs and lows. Within climate, temperature is affecting by phenomena such as heat waves and cold snaps. The atmospheric pressure element is the ‘weight’ of the air and can be used to monitor developing storms. Atmospheric pressure is most commonly considered as an aspect of the weather but in some cases it can be said that changing atmospheric pressures form part of a predictable climate. Finally, meteorological phenomena are hard to predict events such as tornadoes, hail storms and fog. Within weather, meteorological phenomena appear random and as a result of a set of unique circumstances. However, some regions consider meteorological phenomena as part of their climate. These regions experience these phenomena so regularly that they are a predictable part of their climate.
Precipitation is the term given to any water that falls to the Earth from overhead cloud formations. It is considered as an element of weather when determining if rivers or creek levels will rise or to decide if outdoor activities are suitable of not. When considered as an element of climate, precipitation is a long term factor of a region’s make up that is predictable, e.g. A desert may experience a storm (weather) but still remains a typically dry area (climate). Humidity is considered as the measurable amount of moisture that is in the air of the lower atmosphere. Within weather, it makes the days feel hotter and can be used to predict storms. As an element of the climate, humidity is the prolonged moisture level of a whole area that can affect entire ecosystems.
The element of temperature is the measurement of how hot or cold a region is. As an element of weather, temperature can change throughout the day but typically falls within predictable highs and lows. Within climate, temperature is affecting by phenomena such as heat waves and cold snaps. The atmospheric pressure element is the ‘weight’ of the air and can be used to monitor developing storms. Atmospheric pressure is most commonly considered as an aspect of the weather but in some cases it can be said that changing atmospheric pressures form part of a predictable climate. Finally, meteorological phenomena are hard to predict events such as tornadoes, hail storms and fog. Within weather, meteorological phenomena appear random and as a result of a set of unique circumstances. However, some regions consider meteorological phenomena as part of their climate. These regions experience these phenomena so regularly that they are a predictable part of their climate.
