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

(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.