Have you noticed that some days are hot and sunny, while other days are rainy or cold? The condition of the air around us at a particular time and place is called weather. Weather can change from hour to hour and day to day. But if we observe the weather of a place over many years, we get a pattern -- that pattern is called climate. For example, Chennai is usually hot and humid, while Shimla is usually cool. That is their climate.
| Weather | Climate |
|---|---|
| Day-to-day condition of the atmosphere | Average weather pattern of a place over 25-30 years |
| Changes quickly -- can change in hours | Does not change quickly -- stays the same for years |
| Example: "Today is a rainy day in Delhi." | Example: "Rajasthan has a hot and dry climate." |
Four main factors decide what the weather will be like:
| Factor | What It Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | How hot or cold the air is | Summer days in Nagpur can reach 45 degrees Celsius |
| Humidity | The amount of moisture (water vapour) in the air | Mumbai feels sticky in June because humidity is high |
| Wind | Moving air -- can be gentle or strong | Strong winds blow during cyclones along the coast of Odisha |
| Rainfall | Water falling from clouds as rain | Cherrapunji in Meghalaya receives very heavy rainfall |
Scientists use special instruments to measure weather:
| Instrument | What It Measures | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Thermometer | Temperature (how hot or cold) | Degrees Celsius |
| Rain Gauge | Amount of rainfall | Millimetres (mm) |
| Wind Vane | Direction of the wind | North, South, East, West |
If the thermometer at your school in Jaipur shows 40 degrees Celsius in May, it means the day is very hot. If it shows 10 degrees Celsius in Srinagar in January, it means the day is very cold.
| Season | Months | What It Is Like |
|---|---|---|
| Summer (Grishma) | March to May | Very hot, dry winds (called loo in North India) |
| Monsoon / Rainy (Varsha) | June to September | Heavy rainfall, cloudy skies, cooler than summer |
| Autumn (Sharad) | October to November | Pleasant weather, clear skies, festivals like Diwali and Dussehra |
| Winter (Shishir / Hemant) | December to February | Cold weather, fog in North India, short days |
People in different parts of India live differently because of their climate.
| Region | Climate | Houses | Food | Clothing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rajasthan | Hot and dry | Thick walls, small windows to keep heat out | Dry foods like dal-baati, less green vegetables | Light cotton clothes, turbans to protect from sun |
| Kerala | Hot and wet | Sloping roofs so rain water slides off | Rice, coconut, fish | Light cotton clothes |
| Kashmir | Very cold | Wooden houses with sloping roofs for snow | Meat, dry fruits, kahwa (warm tea) | Thick woollen clothes, shawls, pheran |
| Assam | Warm and wet | Houses on stilts (raised) to avoid floods | Rice, fish, bamboo shoot dishes | Cotton and silk (mekhela chador) |
In Cherrapunji (Meghalaya), one of the wettest places on Earth, houses have steep sloping roofs so that heavy rain flows off quickly. In Jaisalmer (Rajasthan), houses have thick stone walls and small windows to keep the hot desert air out and the inside cool.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Weather | The day-to-day condition of the atmosphere at a place |
| Climate | The average weather pattern of a place over many years |
| Temperature | A measure of how hot or cold something is |
| Humidity | The amount of water vapour (moisture) in the air |
| Thermometer | An instrument used to measure temperature |
Finished learning? Now test what you know!