(a) Distinguish between weather and climate (b) Identify and describe any four elements of weather (c) Mention three uses of rainfall data to man

Answer Details

(a) Distinction between weather and climate

• Weather is the day-to-day, short-term condition of the atmosphere of a place at a particular time, described by its elements such as temperature, rainfall and wind. It changes from hour to hour and day to day.
• Climate is the average condition of the atmosphere of a place taken over a long period (usually 30 years or more). It is stable and describes the general pattern rather than a single day.

(b) Four elements of weather

• Temperature: the degree of hotness or coldness of the air, measured with a thermometer in degrees Celsius.
• Rainfall (precipitation): moisture falling from clouds to the ground, measured with a rain gauge in millimetres.
• Wind: air moving from areas of high to low pressure; its direction is found with a wind vane and speed with an anemometer.
• Humidity: the amount of water vapour in the air, measured with a hygrometer. (Others acceptable: air pressure, cloud cover, sunshine.)

(c) Three uses of rainfall data to man

• It guides farmers in choosing crops and in timing planting and harvesting.
• It aids water-resource planning, such as siting dams, reservoirs and irrigation schemes and forecasting floods or drought.
• It assists engineers and town planners in designing drainage, bridges and buildings, and helps prepare against flooding.