KS2 Geography: Weather and Climate Guide

Weather vs climate

Weather is what's happening in the atmosphere on a particular day (rain, sun, wind). Climate is the average weather pattern of a place over many years.

Climate zones

The world can be divided into climate zones, including polar (very cold, near the poles), temperate (mild, like the UK), and tropical (hot and often wet, near the equator).

Why climate varies

Climate is affected mainly by distance from the equator (places nearer the equator get more direct sunlight and are hotter), altitude (higher places are colder) and distance from the sea (coastal areas tend to have milder climates than places inland).

Measuring weather

Weather is measured using instruments: a thermometer for temperature, a rain gauge for rainfall, an anemometer for wind speed, and a wind vane for wind direction.

Common mistakes

• Using "weather" and "climate" interchangeably — climate is the long-term average, weather is short-term.
• Assuming all tropical places are the same — rainfall and temperature both vary by location.
• Forgetting that altitude affects temperature as well as latitude.