Weather and climate: Are they the same?

We can see changes in our environment every day, even from hour to hour. Changes in temperature, humidity, wind, cloudiness and brightness can all be described as weather. The weather can vary from one day to another and can change in minutes. One day it could be bright and sunny, and the next day it could be rainy.

Activity

Study your local weather forecasts for a week to understand this phenomenon better.

Image source: Macrovector. (n.d.). Realistic weather widget. Freepik.com. https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/realistic-weather-widget_1531136.htm Licence: Free licence

Climate is the term we use to describe the weather of a place over a period of 30 years. It describes what you can expect in a certain place at a certain time of the year. For example, Malawi is warm and wet from November to April. Most of its rain falls during this time. Pakistan generally has an arid climate characterised by hot summers and cool and cold winters.