Why is the UK’s climate so variable?

Starters:What does variable mean?Name 3 things that vary a lotWhat has “variable” got to do with “hard to predict”

Learning Objectives • Describe UK’s varied climate using

climate graphs and maps (level 4-5)• Give some clear reasons why UK’s

climate varies so much (level 5-6)• Use climate data to make a justified

decision about locating an umbrella and sweater business (level 6-7 and even 8!)

What is this map missing?

Describing UK’s varied climateLook at the 3 climate maps on page 201.For each map describe at least 2 patterns you can see. For example “in July the warmest area is the South East at 17°”Challenge: How can latitude help to explain the patterns in map 12.3? (look at fig.12.2 to help you)

Explaining UK’s varied climate part 1So why are there so many variations in such a small sized country like the UK?Answer:LatitudeAltitudeDistance from the seaAir PressurePrevailing WindOcean currents

OR: LADAPO

Explaining UK’s varied climate (see p.201 new wider world)

LAPADO1. Latitude (We have already covered this - remember the high heeled shoe?)2. Altitude – the higher up you are the colder and wetter it gets3. Prevailing wind – Where the wind usually blows from (from the South West in the

UK)4. Air Pressure - the UK gets both high and low pressure weather5. Distance from the sea – the further from the sea the colder the winters and the

warmer the summers6. Ocean current – The North Atlantic Drift brings warm seawater up from the Gulf of

Mexico.

Can you make Mnemonic to help you remember this?

Explaining UK’s varied climate part 2A pupil who is thinking hard might ask:

“But the wind doesn’t always blow from the same direction, what happens when the wind blows from somewhere else?”

Well, have a look at the map on p.200 and think back to Air Masses which we studied in Year 8 ….. Then answer q. 1 p.208.... But first watch this

Explaining UK’s varied climate part 2 - What causes rain?

1/ Look at p. 202 fig 12.7 Fill in the gaps: “As air rises it ______. When air does this the water vapour in it _________ to form water droplets and then forms _______. When conditions are right this will form as rain.”Missing words: condenses, clouds, cools

2/ Look at fig 12.6. The prevailing wind is from the SW in the UK. Why does this cause more rain in this area? (Top tip: what has the wind blown over to get to the UK?)

3/ Look at fig 12.8. Why do mountainous areas get more rain? (Top tip: what happens to the air temperature when air rises?)4/ Look at fig 12.9. This shows how cold and warm air mixes around the UK. How does this form rain? (Top tip: what happens to the warm air when it hits the cooler air?)

5/ Challenge answer q. 2 p. 209

What weather do high and low pressure systems bring to the UK?

Watch this to get an excellent introduction and draw a table to describe the weather we get with each

Air pressure Weather you often get

High pressure in summer

High pressure in winter

Low pressure any time

Challenge: what is wind (phnaar phnaar)?

Quick recap of how the earths climate works

Depressions (low pressure systems)1) Read p. 26-7 in Foundations (old y7 book)2) Read p.204-5 New Wider World (GCSE book)3) Watch met office video

Low Pressure Systems: Learning Objectives and tasks

• Define what a low pressure/depressions is• Describe the weather you get with a low pressure system• Fully describe AND explain the weather you get with a low

pressure system__________

Work:a) Do q 1 and 2 p. 27 in Foundations, but don’t draw a diagram for 2b) Answer q 3 p. 27 but use the info on p.204 in Wider World as

Foundations sticks to level 4 too muchc) CHALLENGE: what are the main causes of the rain in low pressure

systems?

Anticyclones (high pressure systems)1) Read p. 24-5 in Foundations (old y7 book)2) Read p.206 New Wider World (GCSE book)

• Define what a high pressure/anticyclone is• Describe the weather you get with a high pressure system• Fully describe AND explain the weather you get with a

high pressure system__________

Work:a) Do q 4-5 p. 25 in Foundations, but don’t draw a diagram

for 2b) Challenge: Why do anticyclone rarely create much

rainfall?

High Pressure Systems: Learning Objectives and tasks

Weather Charts

Carol explains this quite well….You also need to know other sybols as well... Have a look at p. 206 in Wider World and answer q 4 on p. 209

Decision Time: Where should Windy Miller open his umbrella and woolly jumper shops?

Windy wants to open 2 shops. One shop will sell raincoats and the other shop will sell warm woolly jumpers. You need to decide where Windy should open his shops and give him detailed reasons why.

His 5 possible locations are shown on p. 207

How to read a climate graph

Bars: Precipitation (mm)

Line: Temperature

Months

TempPrecipitation

Decision Time: Where should Windy Miller open his umbrella and woolly jumper shops?

I think Windy should open his shop in xxxxxxxx because…a) Use numerical evidence from

p. 207b) Explain this evidence using

LAPADO

Decision Time: Where should Windy Miller open his umbrella and woolly jumper shops?

Good work will quote figures for each location chosen and compare these with climate data from the other possible sites

Excellent Work will use LAPADO to explain the differences in data

The best work will also mention depression and anticyclones

Relief map of the UK(Relief means the lie of the land: height, slope etc)