Factors Influencing Weather and Climate

The following factors influence the weather and climate of different places around the world;

  • Ocean currents (the movement of water at different temperatures through the oceans).
  • Amount of water (clouds) and dust in the atmosphere.
  • Prevailing winds (the direction that winds usually blow from).
  • Altitude (height above sea-level).
  • Latitude (angle of sun’s rays and effect on day length).
  • Distance from the sea.
  • Aspect (the influence of slopes eg different sides of a valley).

Watch the following movie about the factors affecting the Earth’s Climate:

Brainpop


Task: On A3 paper draw fully labelled diagrams to show how each factor influences temperature and rainfall. Include examples of actual places in your diagrams.

Useful links
BBC Bitesize
Nature.com

This image may help to get you started!