NGURUDOTO SEC.

SCHOOL
FORM ONE GEOGRAPHY - SUMMARY NOTES
TOPIC-WEATHER

-Daily atmospheric conditions of a place at a particular time.

Elements of Weather

1. Temperature 2. Humidity Precipitation 3. Precipitation 4. Atmospheric

pressure 5. Wind

6. Sunshine 7. Cloud cover

Factors influencing weather

TEMPERATURE

It is the degree of within the atmosphere,the suns energy is transmitted

inform of short waves rays in a process called insulation or solar radiation

Factors determining the amount of solar radiation reaching the earth

surfaces

1. The intensity of the sun radiation in the space, and the average distance
from the sun

2. The transparency of the atmosphere.

3. The position of the earth on its orbits which produces different seasons

4. The angle of the surface on which the sun rays fall

5. The area and nature of the surface on which the rays fall

Ways in which the atmosphere is heated

1. Radiation 2. Conduction 3. Convection

Radiation

This is the way bodies emit heat in form of electro magnetic waves Radiation
travels in waves that are very small and are transmitted from one place to
another without the help of any medium.

Conduction
Is the transfer of heat energy through motion from one molecule to another
Air in the atmosphere is heated by direct contact with the earth, then its
heat the one above.

Convection, Air heated by the earth and become less dense .The heated air
then rises to higher level transferring heat with it .

Factors influencing temperature

1. Altitude

Height above sea level.

• Temperature decreases with increase in height due to air at higher altitude

being thinner and hence there is less particles e.g. gases, dust, smoke and
water vapour to store heat so its rapidly lost to the outer space.

2. Latitude

-Distance from the equator.

Temperature decreases with increase in latitude.

3. Aspect

-Direction of slope in relation to rain bearing winds or sunshine • At higher

latitudes slopes facing the equator have higher temperature because they
face the sun than poles.

4. Winds

-Transfer heat from one place to another.

5. Distance from a Large Water Body

• Areas near a large water body experience lower temperature than those
areas far from water bodies.

6. Cloud Cover

• Clouds reduce the amount of solar energy reaching the surface by

absorbing, scattering and reflecting solar radiation.

7. Length of Day
• The longer the period of solar insolation the greater the quantity of
radiation a place receives and hence the more the heat that will be
generated by the earth and vice versa.

HUMIDITY

Is the condition of the atmosphere with references to its water vapour

content.

Absolute Humidity -Actual amount of water vapour a given volume of air can
hold. It’s expressed in g/m3.

Relative Humidity .-Ratio between the absolute humidity and the maximum
amount of water the air can hold expressed in a percentage.

Factors Influencing Humidity

1. Temperature

• Places with high temperature experience high humidity due to high

evaporation and air having high capacity to hold moisture.

2. Source of Moisture

• Areas near water bodies • Places near thick vegetation and water bodies

have high humidity due to evapotranspiration, than Areas far away.

3. Air Pressure

• There is high humidity at low altitudes because high pressure compresses

air warming it increasing its capacity to hold moisture and also causes high
evaporation.

4. Latitude

• Low latitudes experience high humidity due to high temperatures resulting

into high rates of evaporation and air having high capacity to hold moisture

Significance of Humidity/Moisture

1. Affects rain formation. 2. Regulates the heat loss from the earth’s surface
by absorbing terrestrial radiation (process in which the earth gives off heat
into the atmosphere.
PRECIPITATION

-The forms in which the earth’s surface receives moisture.

Forms of precipitation

Sleet -Precipitation which is a mixture of rain and snow.

Hail -Roughly spherical lumps of ice formed when super cooled cloud
droplets mould themselves around ice crystals before cooling.

Rain -Precipitation consisting of water drops/droplets formed when tiny

water droplets merge around particles of matter and become heavy and fall
down to the earth.

Others are Fog, Snow, Dew e.t.c.

TYPES OF RAINFALL

Relief/Orographic/Mountain rainfall . Rain experienced on the windward

slopes of mountains or hills formed when moist air is forced to rise over a
mountain or a hill.

1. Convectional Rainfall

Types of rainfall common near large water bodies formed as a result of

convective rising and cooling of moist air.
 Frontal/Cyclonic Rainfall. Type of rainfall common in mid-latitudes formed
when warm air blows towards a cold area or when warm air mass meets
with a cold air mass.

ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

High pressure areas receive low rainfall than low pressure areas due to
pushing of air masses from high pressure to low pressure.

Factors Influencing Atmospheric Pressure

1. Altitude
2. Temperature
3. Rotation of the earth

Zone of convergence of westeries and polar easteries.

 The Polar High Pressure Zone Found over the poles 90◦N and 90◦S.

• A high pressure Zone.

• Zone of descending calm air of low temperature.

WINDS

Movements of air from high concentration to low concentration.

• Blow from sub-tropical high pressure zone and blow to the equatorial low
pressure belt.

Categories of winds due to Rain formation

1. Sea Breeze
 -A light and gentle wind which blows from the sea to the adjacent land.

How it Forms- During the day land is heated faster than the sea. (influencing
rain formation)

. Land Breeze

-A light and gentle wind which blows from land to the sea during the night.
Air is very dry (not influencing rain formation)
 A WEATHER STATION
-A place where observation, measuring and recording of weather elements is
done

Factors to consider when Sitting a Weather Station

1. An open place where there is free flow of air. 2. A fairly level or gently
sloping ground so that it’s easy to position weather instruments. 3. The site
should be free from flooding.

4. The place should have security.

Instruments for Measuring Elements of Weather

1. Thermometer-temperature
2. Hygrometer-humidity
3. Rain gauge-rainfall
4. Barometer-air pressure
5. Sunshine recorder-sunshine duration and intensity
6. Wind vane –wind direction
7. Anenometer-wind speed
8. Evaporimeter-rate and amount of evaporation

THE STEVENSON SCREEN

-A white wooden box mounted on 4 legs used to house thermometers and

hygrometers. The instruments which are found in it are:

1. Maximum thermometer

2. minimum thermometer

3. Six’s thermometer
4. hygrometer-wet bulb and dry bulb thermometer

Importance

1. Provide shade conditions for accurate temperature recording. 2. Ensure

safety of thermometers because they are delicate.

2. Minimum thermometer

3. Six’s thermometer

Maximum Thermometer

It’s used to measure the highest temperature reached in a day. It uses

mercury.

How It’s Used/Works

Temperature rises causing mercury to expand.

• Mercury pushes the index up.

• When temperature falls mercury contracts.

Minimum Thermometer

It’s used to record the lowest

temperature reached in a day. It uses alcohol.

How it’s Used/Works

Temperature falls causing alcohol to contract.

• Alcohol pulls the index down.

• When temperature rises alcohol expands and rises in the tube. • The index
remains where it was pulled.

Minimum temperature reading is obtained from the scale at the lower end of
the index.

Calculating Temperature

Daily Temperature range

-Difference between the maximum and minimum temperature for any one
day. Mean Daily Temperature

-Average of the maximum and the minimum daily temperatures. Mean

Monthly temperature

-Sum of mean daily temperatures in a month divided by the number of days

in that month.

Mean Annual Temperature

-Sum of mean monthly temperatures divided by 12. Mean Annual

Temperature Range

-Difference between the highest and the lowest mean monthly temperatures
in a year.

Rain gauge

-is the instrument used to measure the amount of rainfall in a day. The unit
is mm.
How used/ works-- It’s taken to an open space to prevent water from
dropping into the funnel. • Its sunk into the ground to prevent evaporation
• The funnel top is left 30cm above the ground to prevent splashes of water
and run off.

• After 24 hours water is emptied into the measuring cylinder. • The reading
of the amount of rainfall is got from the measuring cylinder in millimetres.

• The figure represents the millimetres of water falling on each square

millimetre of the ground.

Calculating Rainfall

1. Monthly Rainfall Total

-Sum of rainfall recorded in a month.

Annual Rainfall Total

Obtain by adding all the total monthly rainfall for a year. Mean Annual
Rainfall

-obtain by adding total annual rainfall usually for a period of 35 years and
dividing by 35.

Mean Annual Rainfall

-Sum of mean monthly rainfall for 12 months of the year.

Sunshine recorder. Measuring duration of sunshine .

Hygrometer –Measuring Humidity. The condition of atmosphere with

reference to its water content.

Absolute Humidity

-Actual amount of water vapour a given volume of air can hold. It’s
expressed in g/m3.

Relative Humidity
-Ratio between the absolute humidity and the maximum amount of water
the air can hold expressed in a percentage.

Wind vane. Wind direction is determined using wind vane (Wind Sock).

Anemometer

Measuring the speed or velocity of wind.-not kept in a weather station

because it doesn’t give the accurate direction of wind flow.

Barometer

Measured atmospheric
pressure

Three types namely- mercury, aneroid and Fortin Barometers.

Evaporimeter- Measuring the rate and amount of evaporation. • The units

are in mm.

• When there is a lot of sunshine water evaporates from the blotting paper.
The level of water in the glass tube reduces. • The rate and amount of
evaporation is got by looking at the scale on the outside of the glass tube.

QUESTIONS

1:Briefly explain the function of the following instruments as used in weather-

Thermometer, Barometer, Raingauge, Anemometer, Windsock/ vane, Sunshine recorder,
Hygrometer, and Evaporimeter.

2:Mention Five Elements of Weather

3:Give two reasons why Stevenson screen is white

4:List five factors which affecting Temperature.

5:Differentiate between Dry bulb and Wet bulb Thermometer.

6: Differentiate between absolute and Relative humidity.

7: List five factors or things to consider when establishing Weather Station.

8: Briefly explain the following-weather, Precipitation, Stevenson screen, Hail, Sleet, Dew