What is weather?
Weather in the atmosphere is different to the weather at the Earth's surface.
Watch: Learn about the UK's weather and climate
Discover how the weather and climate affect different places in the UK.
The UK has what is called a temperate climate, which means we have warm summers, well some might argue with that. We have cold winters like today and it is usually during winter that weather and climate can cause some major problems.
I'm Tianna and I'm in Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire. You might be wondering what the difference between weather and climate is. Basically it's time.
Weather refers to short term or daily changes. Climate is the weather pattern over a long period of time. So although the weather can be hot and sunny one day in Hebden Bridge, the climate is mild and wet and that can cause flooding.
Hebden Bridge is at risk of flooding, not just because of its climate, but also because of its location. It is in a narrow, steep sided valley where a canal and three rivers meet.
The rivers sometime contain so much water that they burst their banks and flood the town. That can destroy people's businesses and homes.
It rains often here, sometimes so much that the town and nearby fields that farmers use for crops and animals gets flooded and that can cause food shortages for a lot of people.
Because the world is heating up, the climate here is changing and creating more storms, more rain and so more flooding.
Hebden Bridge is receiving help from the government to raise and strengthen river walls and to improve protection to riverside properties, drainage, canal overflow and pumphouses, which is where water is pumped off the streets.
Some people have suggested making all the rivers bendy shaped, like an 's', so that it slows the flow of water. That's how they used to meander naturally.
A lot of our rivers like the Calder were straightened out when we built towns or farms, but now that's having a negative effect. Also by removing trees and soil for buildings, the water doesn't get soaked up like it should and stays on the surface.
Water from rivers, canals and rain that runs off hillsides and roads is called surface water, but some places are affected by water under the surface called groundwater.
Ripon in North Yorkshire is one of the most common areas in the UK for sinkholes. The city sits above a layer of gypsum, which is water-soluble rock that means water can soak into and dissolve it.
Ripon has groundwater that comes from underground streams and that eventually destroys the gypsum rock. Surface water also trickles down into the gypsum over time.
Large underground caves form that can collapse and create big holes in the surface, sinkholes. A whole house fell into one not long ago.
Does weather and climate affect where you live?
What is the difference between weather and climate?
The difference between weather and climate is time.
- Weather is the short-term, day to day conditions of an area.
- Climate is the long-term conditions of an area recorded over a longer period of time.
Climate of the UK
The UK has four seasons throughout the year: spring, summer, autumn and winter.
The temperature changes quite often throughout the year as the UK has a temperate climate. This means it has cold, wet winters and warmer, wet summers.
Different areas of the UK experience slightly different climates. This is because of the way some parts of the UK are positioned on the Earth.
The climate of an area depends on three things:
Altitude - how high a place is above sea level. The higher up you go, the colder it gets because the air is thinner. This means it holds less heat so is cooler.
Longitude - how far east or west an area is from the prime meridian, the line of longitude at 0°C, which passes through Greenwich in London.
Latitude - how far north or south an area is from the Equator. The Equator is an imaginary line that goes around the middle of the Earth, dividing it into the northern and southern hemispheres. Places near the Equator are hot all year round, but places further away such as the UK are cooler as they receive less sunlight.
Here is how the climate varies across the UK:
Factors that affect climate
Although the latitude of the UK affects its climate, there are other factors involved.
Here are a few factors that affect the climate for different areas of the UK:
Distance to the sea
The sea passes a lot of heat to coastal areas in the winter as it takes longer to heat up and cool down than land. Because of this, coastal regions have warmer winters and cooler summers.
Currents
One reason why the UK has a warm climate is due to the Gulf Stream. This is a current of warm water that travels north-east from the Gulf of Mexico, over the Atlantic Ocean, bringing warmer water towards the UK.
Winds
Winds help pass heat energy from one area to another. Winds that come from the north, such as polar or arctic air masses, bring cold, wet weather, such as snow to the UK. If the wind comes from the south, tropical air masses bring warmer, drier weather.
Hilly, mountainous areas
High-altitude areas, such as the Highlands in Scotland, tend to be colder due to low air pressure. Temperatures may also vary depending whether it is north or south-facing as south-facing slopes get more sunlight than north-facing slopes.
Activities
Quiz: UK weather patterns
Quiz: Weather and climate
Game - Climate Detectives
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