Weather changes constantly and is full of surprises – from thunderstorms to rainbows! With such fascinating phenomena to learn more about!
This section will introduce you to fog: its causes, distinct types and other facts. Furthermore, you’ll gain more knowledge on lightning: what it is, its formation process and other intriguing details.
Temperature
Temperature is the measure of how hot or cold air feels, as well as how fast its molecules and atoms move; fast moving atoms indicate warmer conditions while slower ones indicate colder ones. Air temperatures can be affected by many factors including sunlight exposure and how much moisture there is present.
Cool weather differs from cold in that it typically describes moderately low temperatures. To properly understand this difference between cold and cool is vital, as people often use both terms interchangeably. Cold refers to temperatures near or below freezing while cool refers to moderately low temperatures.
Climate is determined by proximity to either the equator or polar regions; regions nearer the former tend to experience warmer conditions while those further from the sun experience colder ones.
Cold weather poses many health threats for humans and animals alike. It can trigger colds, flu, other infectious diseases, plant deaths and dehydration due to less sunlight during winter. Furthermore, dehydration in animals and humans due to less active sun may occur, contributing to decreased vitamin D production in bodies.
Cold weather poses another health threat: disease-causing organisms. For example, biting flies largely disappear as temperatures decline and these insects spread malaria, sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis) and Bilharzia (schistosomiasis), three of the world’s deadliest diseases.
Cold weather places physiological stresses on the body, especially among seniors and those suffering from chronic illness. People can manage these stresses by dressing warmly and limiting physical exertion as much as possible – although in extremely cold temperatures with no signs of change coming soon it might be wise to stay indoors as much as possible.
Rain
Weather-related discussions can make awkward small-talk, but they’re actually essential to our planet. Rain occurs when water vapor rises through the troposphere and condenses as droplets that eventually fall to Earth as raindrops. Water vapor may also form waterspouts – tornado-like structures in water which pick up sea creatures before transporting them away to other locations.
Cool temperatures help limit disease-carrying organisms such as biting flies that spread diseases such as malaria, sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis) and Bilharzia (schistosomiasis). Furthermore, such temperatures also help facilitate plant growth by limiting evaporation rates and encouraging water conservation.
Snow
Snow may be difficult to shovel, but its beauty cannot be denied. A blanket of fresh white powder transforms any landscape into an enchanting winter scene where children and adults alike enjoy playing on it, building snowmen, and making snow angels.
Snow is composed of translucent or clear crystals that reflect light instead of absorbing it, creating its characteristic white appearance. Depending on what has contaminated it – for instance in Colorado and Sierra Nevada mountains where algae contamination often contributes to pink-tinged snow – its hue may differ according to its source.
Snowflakes form when water droplets freeze onto pollen or dust particles in the sky and other water vapor clings to it – creating six sides and the familiar snowflake shape. Their size varies with air temperatures: the colder it is, the smaller their snowflakes become, while warmer and moist air conditions allow larger ones to form as they expand further – leading some people to report seeing snowflakes as large as milk pans!
Wind
Wind is the movement of air caused by changes in pressure, temperature and moisture levels. Most weather occurs in the troposphere – an uppermost layer of Earth’s atmosphere comprising 75% of its total atmosphere – where air pressure differs more between locations than elsewhere. When air pressure differences exist between zones, wind blows as it acts like an invisible force to move people and objects around – when something hits something it causes it to move further downstream than before it had hit it directly.
Wind can transport heat from hotter places to cooler ones by dissipating density differences between warm and cool air masses, thus creating different types of weather conditions, including brickfielder: an extremely hot wind that transports red dust from Australia’s deserts; cape doctor, which brings cool breezes that purify Cape Town; South Africa, while chinook is an extremely strong warm wind which rushes east through Canada and the U.S.