The term weather describes the state of the air at a particular

  place and time ƛ whether it is warm or cold, wet or dry, and how
cloudy or windy it is, for example.

Throughout history, mankind has always been in awe of the

weather. Ancient Civilisations considered natural disasters to be
the work of the Gods and the weather still plays a big part in our
lives today. It affects many of the things that we do, from the
’ 
 clothes we wear and the food we eat, to where we live and how

  we travel. As a result, the weather is of great interest to people
everywhere, from meteorologists, the scientists who study it in
great depth, to you and I in our everyday lives. In fact, one of the
main topics of conversation is often what the weather will do next,
particularly in areas such as Great Britain where the weather is
very changeable and unpredictable. Think about how often you
hear people discussing the weather .

The normal pattern of weather experienced in a particular area

× 
 over a long period of time is known as the climate. The climate
tells us how hot, cold or wet it is likely to be in different parts of
the world at different times of year. For example, tropi cal countries
have hot climates and the Antarctic has a cold climate.
The climate may include four seasons a year -
spring, summer, autumn and winter - or a
wet and a dry season. Our climate depends
on our position on the earth and our distance
a


from the sun. We will learn more about this in
the Days and Seasons section.
 Weather experts use computer technology and data
from stations and satellites all over the world to predict
J

 the weather. By carefully monitoring weather
conditions it is possible to predict when change is due -
what we know as weather forecasting.

All the Earth's weather takes place in the lowest part of the
’
  atmosphere, which is called the troposphere. This extends
upwards from ground level to about 8km at the poles and about
16km at the equator.

Let's travel to the next page together, and find out m ore about the
Earth's atmosphere.