Page 17 - SST Class 05

3 Weather and

Climate

Weather, Climate and I

Weather and climate have a direct bearing on our lifestyle. They determine what we eat and how we
eat, what clothes we wear, and what type of houses we build. They also determine what we grow in our
fields.

Weather

The atmosphere changes from time to time. It is cooler in the morning and warmer in
the afternoon. You can see the change in the atmosphere almost every hour. The
atmospheric changes that occur over a short period of time are called weather.

Sometimes the weather changes very suddenly. It may be warm at one time, and in a
short while, it may start to rain. Sometimes, the wind starts to blow. These changes
take place from day-to-day and hour-to-hour. The weather indicates whether it is
sunny or cloudy, rainy or windy, cold or hot at a particular point of time.

Climate

It is rainy in the monsoon season and windy in the autumn season; it is hot in the
summer season and cold in the winter season. This shows the aggregate of the weather
over a long period of time. This aggregate is called climate. A day may not be as cold
as other days in winter, but on an average, the climate is cold. It does not rain
everyday in the rainy season.

Thus, the condition of the atmosphere at one point of time is weather, while the
aggregate of it over a long period of time is called climate.

In India, the three main seasons are winter, summer and rainy. As the monsoon plays
an important role, India is said to have a monsoon type of climate . The climate of a
place influences the lifestyle of people living there, such as clothing, eating habits,
occupations etc. Several factors influence the climate.

Weather and Climate 17