MODULE 3: WEATHER

PATTERNS AND SEASONS

2-week duration
1.1 WEATHER PATTERN
A weather pattern occurs when the weather stays the same for days or weeks at a time.

Components of Weather Patterns

There are five main components to weather:

• Temperature
• Humidity
• Air pressure
• Wind
• Precipitation
A. TEMPERATURE

Temperature is how warm or cool the air is in the atmosphere.

- Based on the average of all weather stations in the Philippines, excluding

Baguio, the mean annual temperature is 26.6o C. The coolest months fall
in January with a mean temperature of 25.5oC while the warmest month
occurs in May with a mean temperature of 28.3oC.
Latitude is an insignificant factor in the variation of temperature
while altitude shows greater contrast in temperature. Thus, the
mean annual temperature of Baguio with an elevation of 1,500
meters is 18.3oC.

The difference between the mean annual temperature of the

southernmost station in Zamboanga and that of the northermost
station in Laoag is insignificant. In other words, there is essentially
no difference in the mean annual temperature of places in Luzon,
Visayas or Mindanao measured at or near sea level.
B. HUMIDITY

Humidity measures how much moisture is present in the atmosphere.

- Humidity also influences the perceived temperature, and anyone who's

been stuck outside on a humid day can attest to how hot it feels
compared to a day at the same temperature with low humidity.
- The high moisture content in the air prevents the sweat from evaporating
off of our skin, which would normally keep us cool.
- Due to high temperature and the surrounding bodies of water, the Philippines
has a high relative humidity.

- The average monthly relative humidity varies between 71 percent in March

and 85 percent in September.

- The combination of warm temperature and high relative and absolute

humidities give rise to high sensible temperature throughout the archipelago.

- It is especially uncomfortable during March to May, when temperature and

humidity attain their maximum levels.
C. AIR PRESSURE
Air pressure is the amount of air molecules packed into an area.

- Changes in atmospheric pressure create weather patterns, which

we'll discuss later on.

- High pressure areas bring calm, cool, sunny weather

- Low pressure areas bring warm weather, rain, and clouds.

D. WIND

Wind is the movement of air through the atmosphere, and it helps

to move air from high pressure areas to low pressure areas.
E. PRECIPITATION
Precipitation is any form of water falling from the clouds; the most common
forms that you may be familiar with are snow and rain. These processes
bring changes in temperature and greatly infl uence human activity.

- Rainfall distribution throughout the country varies from one region to

another, depending upon the direction of the moisture-bearing winds and
the location of the mountain systems.
1.2 HOW WEATHER PATTERNS DEVELOP?

Weather patterns start with air masses

Air masses are large bodies of air with uniform temperatures and air
pressure.

- Air masses are categorized based on the temperature (polar or

tropical) and their origin (land or marine). The origins of the air
masses influence the humidity of the air.
FRONTS
Fronts are boundaries between air masses of different temperatures.

- The type of front depends on both the direction in which the air mass is moving and the
characteristics of the air mass.

- Understanding the various types of fronts can help you know what kind of weather to expect
when looking at a weather map. This knowledge can help predict where they may go and how
areas near the front will be impacted regarding temperatures, winds, and precipitation.

- There are four types of fronts: cold front, warm front, stationary front, and occluded front.
1. COLD FRONT

Cold front - a front in which cold air is

replacing warm air at the surface.

- Cold fronts usually bring cooler

weather, clearing skies, and a sharp
change in wind direction.
2. WARM FRONT
Warm front- a front in which warm air
replaces cooler air at the surface.

- If a warm front exists on a weather map, it

will be northeast of the cold front and often,
to the east of a surface low pressure area.

- Clouds and precipitation are quite

prevalent to the north of the warm front.
3. STATIONARY FRONT
Stationary front- a front that does not
move or barely moves.

- Conditions along the front are clear

and dry, however, if moisture is
available near the front, clouds and
light precipitation may develop.
4. OCCLUDED FRONT
An occluded front occurs when a cold front
overtakes a warm front.

- There are both cold and warm occlusions. In a cold

occlusion, the colder air is found behind the front.

- Conversely, a warm occlusion is characterized by

warmer air located behind the front. Winds are
either from the east or south before the front passes.
After the front, winds shift from the west or northwest
 CORIOLIS EFFECT
Coriolis effect
• shift in wind direction due to Earth’s
Rotation
• contributes to the circular motion of the
wind around pressure systems which
move weather patterns
 MYTH OR FACT?
Is there a difference in the direction of flushing water between
Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere?
So in the Northern hemisphere, it moves counter clockwise. In the
Southern hemisphere, it moves clockwise. On the equator, water
goes straight down.
REFERENCES

https://okfirst.mesonet.org/train/meteorology/
Fronts.html#:~:text=Fronts%20are%20boundaries%20between%20air,characteristics%20of%2
0the%20air%20mass.

https://www.dtn.com/there-are-four-basic-types-of-fronts-can-you-name-them/
https://study.com/academy/lesson/weather-patterns-definition-development-movement.html

http://bagong.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/information/climate-philippines
SEASONS
SEASONS
According to National Geographic, a season is a period of
the year that is distinguished by special climate conditions.

The seasons on Earth change every 3 months. There are two

main causes for the change of seasons:

1. The axis of the Earth is tilted 23.5º

2. The Earth revolves around the Sun once a year
ASSUMPTIONS

If the Earth tipped over a few more degrees, the seasons would be
more extreme (winter would be colder and summer would be much
hotter).

If the Earth was tipped less, the seasons would be less extreme.

If the Earth stood straight up, the Earth would have never have seasons
again, and every place would have the same climate all of the time.
However, each location would have a different climate.
FIRST DAY OF SEASON
1.The first day of winter is called the Winter Solstice. It is usually
between December 20 and 22.
2. The first day of spring is the Vernal Equinox. It is usually
between March 20-23.
3.The first day of summer is called the Summer Solstice. It is
usually between June 20 and 22.
4.The first day of autumn (fall) is called the Autumnal Equinox. It
is usually between September 20 and 23.
The Southern Hemisphere has opposite seasons
from us. For example, June 21 is the first day of
Winter in Australia. You would not want to go
there on your summer vacation.

Places close to the Equator do not experience

very big seasonal changes. This is because they
receive a more direct angle of sunlight all year
long.
1. SPRING SEASON
• Spring is one of the four conventional temperate seasons,
• following winter and preceding summer.

• There are various technical definitions of spring, but local

usage of the term varies according to local climate, cultures
and customs.

• When it is spring in the Northern Hemisphere, it will be

autumn in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa.

• At the spring equinox, days are approximately 12 hours long

with day length increasing as the season progresses.
2. WINTER SEASON
• Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate
climates, between autumn and spring.

• Winter is caused by the axis of the Earth in that hemisphere

being oriented away from the Sun.

• Different cultures define different dates as the start of winter,

and some use a definition based on weather. When it is winter
in the Northern Hemisphere, it is summer in the Southern
Hemisphere, and vice versa.

• In many regions, winter is associated with snow and freezing

temperatures
3. SUMMER SEASON
• Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons,
falling between spring and autumn.

• At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the

nights are shortest, with day- length decreasing as the
season progresses after the solstice.

• The date of the beginning of summer varies according

to climate, tradition and culture. When it is summer in
• the Northern Hemisphere, it is winter in the Southern
Hemisphere, and vice versa.
4. AUTUMN SEASON
• Autumn, also known as fall in North American English, is
one of the
• four temperate seasons.

• Autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in

September (Northern Hemisphere) or March (Southern
Hemisphere), when the arrival of night becomes noticeably
earlier while the arrival of day becomes noticeably later,
and the temperature cools down considerably.

• One of its main features is the shedding of leaves from

deciduous trees.
LEARNING EVIDENCE

• A haiku is a specific type of Japanese poem which has 17 syllables divided

into three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables.
• Haikus or haiku are typically written on the subject of nature.
• Put your haiku in 8.5 x 11 layout portrait