Weather
Weather refers to the atmosphere at a certain location for a brief period of time. Temperature, humidity, precipitation (kind and amount), air pressure, wind, and cloud cover are only a few examples of atmospheric phenomena that are involved. Climate, as opposed to weather, is the culmination of the weather patterns that have persisted across a region for an extended period of time—typically 30 years. The troposphere, the lowest layer of the atmosphere, which reaches 6-8 km (4-5 miles) at the poles and around 17 km (11 miles) at the equator, is where weather, as it is most frequently understood, happens.
Since most clouds and precipitation form in the troposphere, weather is mostly restricted to this region. Higher tropospheric phenomena, such as jet streams and upper-air waves, have a considerable impact on sea-level atmospheric-pressure patterns, or the so-called highs and lows, and consequently the weather on the ground. Weather is also influenced by geographical factors, most notably by mountains and big bodies of water (such as lakes and oceans). For instance, recent studies have shown that anomalies in the ocean's surface temperature may contribute to anomalies in the atmosphere's temperature over long distances and during different seasons.
Scientists refer to the El Nano/Southern Oscillation as one example of how the ocean and atmosphere interact to affect weather (ENSO). The equatorial Pacific region's ENSO is thought to be responsible for both sporadic weather anomalies in the mid-latitudes (such as the exceptionally severe drought in Australia and the torrential rains in western South America in 1982–83). (As, for example, the record-high summer temperatures in western Europe and unusually heavy spring rains in the central United States in 1982–83). Winter temperatures in a large portion of the United States were well above average due to the ENSO event of 1997–1998.
The polar-front jet stream's position and strength appear to be modulated by the ENSO phenomena, which is thought to affect weather in mid-latitudes ( jet stream). In general, the degree of weather changeability varies greatly around the globe. It is particularly noticeable in the westerly wind belts at mid-latitudes, where a typically continuous procession of moving high- and low-pressure centers results in a continually changing weather pattern. In contrast, the weather in tropical areas doesn't change much from one day to the next or from one month to the next. Human settlement patterns, food production, and personal comfort are all greatly influenced by the weather.
Extremes in temperature and humidity can be uncomfortable and contribute to the spread of disease. Flooding from heavy rain can force people to flee their homes and halt economic activity. Thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail, and sleet storms can harm or completely destroy crops, structures, transportation routes, and vehicles. Even people and livestock could be killed or injured by storms. Tropical cyclones, sometimes known as hurricanes or typhoons, can wreak significant damage to ships, buildings, trees, crops, roads, and railways while at sea as well as in nearby coastal areas.
They can also disrupt air travel and communications. The number of accidents can increase and traffic can be hampered by heavy precipitation and ice conditions. Contrarily, prolonged dryness can result in catastrophic dust storms and droughts when winds blow over parched farmland, as was the case during the 1930s "dustbowl" conditions in the American Plains states. Humans have long been concerned with predicting future weather conditions and weather forecasting as a result of the variability of weather events.
Early on in history, bad weather was attributed to angry or malicious deities. Scientific weather forecasting has advanced since the middle of the 19th century and now makes use of exact measurements of air pressure, temperature, humidity, and wind direction and speed. Since the 1980s, meteorologists have been able to track the path of cyclones, anticyclones, the related fronts, and storms all across the world because to the introduction of weather satellites.
Radar technology also enables the observation of precipitation, clouds, and tropospheric winds. Computers integrate physics-based weather models with actual meteorological data, including the current temperature and wind speed, to predict the weather one week or more in ahead. Although the significant weather variability in the mid-latitudes makes longer-range forecasts less accurate, these innovations have increased the accuracy of local forecasts and led to expanded and long-range forecasts.
In contrast, daily weather changes are minimal in tropical locations, where recurring events and observable change are more closely related to seasonal cycles (dry weather and monsoons). Tropical cyclones are one of the more important weather factors for several tropical regions.