CLIMATE Class Notes

CLIMATE
OBJECTIVES:
• know the distribution of temperature and rainfall, including monsoon, depressions and convectional
rain
• know seasonal and regional variations, and the factors contributing to them, including depressions,
thunderstorms and cyclones (typhoons)
• understand the causes of the monsoon (knowledge of the causes of other types of rain is not
required)
• describe and explain the characteristics of the climate of the arid, semi-arid, humid and highland
regions, including seasonal variations
• know the influence of latitude and longitude on day length and climate
• understand the influence of the climate (both the benefits it brings and the problems it causes) on
the
economy and on the lives of the people:
– the influence of low temperature, ice and snow on the lives of people in the mountains
– the influence of rain storms and flooding on agriculture, industry and communications
– the problems caused by drought and shortage of water supply on agriculture and industry.
CLIMATE: THE WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILING IN
AN AREA IN GENERAL OR OVER A LONG PERIOD.
WEATHER: THE STATE OF THE ATMOSPHERE AT A

PARTICULAR PLACE AND TIME AS REGARDS HEAT,
CLOUDINESS, DRYNESS, SUNSHINE, WIND, RAIN, ETC.
CLIMATIC ZONES
CLIMATIC ELEMENTS
There are four main climatic elements:
• Temperature
• Pressure
• Rainfall
• Wind
FACTORS AFFECTING TEMPRATURE OF PAKISTAN
LATITUDINAL EFFECT
CONTINENTAL EFFECT
ALTITUDE &TEMPERATURE
CLOUD COVER & TEMPERATURE
LATITUDE & THE ANGLE OF THE SUN
LATITUDINAL EFFECT
CONTINENTAL EFFECT:
The continental effect is a phenomenon that
causes temperatures in inland areas to
fluctuate more than temperatures near to
large bodies of water. Large bodies of water
tend to have relatively stable temperatures
while large bodies of land warm up and cool
down dramatically. This means that the
continental effect causes temperatures to vary
more greatly than they would without that
effect.
ALTITUDE AND TEMPERATURE
There is a relationship between altitude, air
density and temperature. The air is densest
at sea level because that is where it absorbs
most water vapour, dust particles and solar
radiation. Air is least dense at high altitude
because less solar radiation is absorbed at
that level. With less air to absorb heat at
higher altitude, there is an average drop of
6.5°C in temperature for each 1000 meter
increase in altitude.
CLOUD COVER AND TEMPERATURE
LATITUDE AND THE ANGLE OF THE SUN
CONDITIONS OF RAINFALL
• Hot air rises up
• Air cools and reaches saturation or dew point
• Water vapour will condense to liquid
• Visible water droplets form
• Rainfall occurs
1. Air pressure varies with temperature: warmer, lighter air is forced to rise
creating areas of low pressure; heavier, colder air descends creating areas of
high pressure
2. Air pressure varies with height; as the atmosphere becomes thinner pressure
decreases
TYPES OF RAINFALL
RELIEF RAINFALL
Relief rainfall is related to the height of land.It
occurs where moist unstable air moves up a
mountain edge and it is chilled, heavy condensation
takes place and rainfall occurs
CONVECTIONAL CURRENTS
• Hot air rises during summer and when it reaches the high layer of
atmosphere, condensation takes place causing rainfall. Strong winds
accompanying the storms may pick up dust with them
• Only northern and north western areas of Pakistan receive rainfall
from Convectional currents. Southern Pakistan despite being more
hot then the northern areas experience less rainfall because of
temperature inversion layer
Why Karachi doesn't experience the convectional rainfall. [4]
WESTERN DEPRESSION
Western Depression are the cyclones which
originate in Mediterranean Sea, they travel across
Afghanistan and Iran and then reach the western
part of Pakistan.
It is winter precipitation (Dec-Mar)
It occurs in light showers
MONSOON WINDS
Monsoon winds are seasonal winds which blow during
summer and winter. The summer winds are called
South-West monsoons and the winter winds are called
North-east monsoons.
South-west Monsoon:
South-west monsoon are giant sea breezes
which bring rainfall. The rain began when
the ocean are less heated, and land is
more heated. The air from the land rises
developing a low pressure and it attracts
the cool air causing heavy rainfall. The
South-western summer monsoons occur
from July through September.
North-east Monsoon:
North-east monsoons blow from the
land towards the sea
MONSOON AND PAKISTAN
Pakistan receives the tail end of the monsoon,
which enter the Pakistan after crossing India. They
usually reach Pakistan in early July and continue to
September. Since the monsoon come into Pakistan
from the east, the eastern part receive more
rainfall in the monsoon. The main monsoon enter
Northern Punjab while the secondary Southern
Punjab and Sindh. The highest rainfall during the
monsoon season is received by Murree that is
850mm.
TROPICAL CYCLONE
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotting storm
system characterized by a low- pressure center,
strong winds and a spiral arrangements of
thunderstorms that produces heavy rain, can
cause a lot of destruction.
They originate over Arabian Sea quite often but
only rarely do they reach the coast of Pakistan.
SOURCES OF RAINFALL
Climatic Zones Sources
HIGHLAND ZONE • Relief Rainfall
• Monsoon Rainfall
• Thunderstorms
• Western Depression
LOWLAND ZONE • Convectional Rainfall
• Western Depression
• Monsoon Rainfall
COASTAL ZONE • Monsoon Rainfall(Sindh Coast)
• Western Depression(Makran Coast)
• Tropical Cyclones
ARID ZONE • Little rainfall from Monsoon winds

and Western Depression
Effects of Climate on Life and Economic
Activities of people in different regions:
Highland Zone:
Arid Zone:
Lowland Zone:
Coastal Zone:
STORMS
Thunderstorms
A thunderstorm is a localized storm accompanied by
lightning and thunder. It may also have gusty winds and
often brings heavy rain. Some thunderstorms can also bring
tornadoes and/or hail. ... Thunderstorms are produced by
cumulonimbus clouds and form when air rises rapidly.
Thunderstorms are common in northern and north-western
areas of Pakistan. They occur in pre-monsoon and post
monsoon season, when atmospheric pressure falls and
convectional currents cause sporadic and localized rainfall.
This is accompanied by strong winds from 60-80 km per
hour.
Dust Storms
A dust storm is caused when hot dry winds
come before a big cold front.
In the summer season, in southern plains
and north-western parts of Baluchistan, due
to low pressure, dust storms and strong
winds are also experienced.
CAUSES OF FLOOD
PHYSICAL HUMAN
Intense precipitation Changes in land use
Prolonged rainfall Urbanization
Snow melt or Ice Thaw Climate change
Storm surges Poor dam construction
Landslides Poverty
FLOOD IMPACTS
• Human loss
• Property loss
• Affects the major Roads
• Disruption of Air/Train/Bus Services
• Spread of Water Borne Diseases
• Communication Breakdown
• Electricity supply cut off
• Economic and Social Disruption
• Increase in Air and water pollution
FLOOD BENEFITS
• Recharging ground water
• Making soil more fertile and increasing nutrients in
some soil
• Flood water provides much needed water
resources in arid and semi-arid regions
• Flooding can spread nutrients to lake and rivers
which can lead to increased biomass and improved
fisheries for a few years.
DROUGHT
a prolonged period of abnormally low
rainfall, leading to a shortage of water.

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CLIMATE

WEATHER: THE STATE OF THE ATMOSPHERE AT A

ARID ZONE • Little rainfall from Monsoon winds

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