Climate | Definition, Weather, & Meteorology

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class="md-content"> <div class="md-article-container template-desktop infinite-pagination"> <div class="infinite-scroll-container article last"> <article class="article-content container-lg qa-content px-0 pt-0 pb-40 py-lg-20 content md-expanded" data-topic-id="121560"> <div class="grid gx-0"> <div class="col-auto"> <div class="topic-left-rail md-article-drawer position-relative d-flex border-right-sm border-left-sm open"> <div class="drawer d-flex flex-column open"> <div class="left-rail-section-content"> <div class="topic-left-rail-header text-truncate bg-gray-50 position-relative text-right d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="tlr-title px-20 py-15 text-left"> <em class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/science/climate-meteorology">climate</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/science/climate-meteorology">Introduction</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref53244"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Solar-radiation-and-temperature">Solar radiation and temperature</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref53245"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Solar-radiation-and-temperature#ref53245">Solar radiation</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53246"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Solar-radiation-and-temperature#ref53246">Distribution of radiant energy from the Sun</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53247"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Effects-of-the-atmosphere">Effects of the atmosphere</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53248"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Effects-of-the-atmosphere#ref53248">Average radiation budgets</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53249"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Effects-of-the-atmosphere#ref53249">Surface-energy budgets</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref53250"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Temperature">Temperature</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53251"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Temperature#ref53251">Global variation of mean temperature</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53252"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Temperature#ref53252">Diurnal, seasonal, and extreme temperatures</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53253"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Temperature#ref53253">Variation with height</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53254"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Circulation-currents-and-ocean-atmosphere-interaction">Circulation, currents, and ocean-atmosphere interaction</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53255"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Circulation-currents-and-ocean-atmosphere-interaction#ref53255">Short-term temperature changes</a></li></ul></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref53256"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Atmospheric-humidity-and-precipitation">Atmospheric humidity and precipitation</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref53257"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Atmospheric-humidity-and-precipitation#ref53257">Atmospheric humidity</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53258" class="has-children"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Humidity-indexes">Humidity indexes</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53259"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Humidity-indexes#ref53259">Absolute humidity</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53260"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Humidity-indexes#ref53260">Specific humidity</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53261"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Humidity-indexes#ref53261">Relative humidity</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53262"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Relation-between-temperature-and-humidity">Relation between temperature and humidity</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53263" class="has-children"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Relation-between-temperature-and-humidity#ref53263">Humidity and climate</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53264"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Average-relative-humidity">Average relative humidity</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53265"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Average-relative-humidity#ref53265">Evaporation and humidity</a></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref53266"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Precipitation">Precipitation</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53267" class="has-children"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Precipitation#ref53267">Origin of precipitation in clouds</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53268"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Precipitation#ref53268">Cloud formation</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53269"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Cloud-types">Cloud types</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53270"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Mechanisms-of-precipitation-release">Mechanisms of precipitation release</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53271"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Mechanisms-of-precipitation-release#ref53271">Showers, thunderstorms, and hail</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53272" class="has-children"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Types-of-precipitation">Types of precipitation</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53273"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Types-of-precipitation#ref53273">Drizzle</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53274"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Types-of-precipitation#ref53274">Rain and freezing rain</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53275"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Snow-and-sleet">Snow and sleet</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53276"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Snow-and-sleet#ref53276">Hail</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53277" class="has-children"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/World-distribution-of-precipitation">World distribution of precipitation</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53278"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/World-distribution-of-precipitation#ref53278">Regional and latitudinal distribution</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53279"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Amounts-and-variability">Amounts and variability</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53280" class="has-children"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Amounts-and-variability#ref53280">Effects of precipitation</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53281"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Amounts-and-variability#ref53281">Raindrop impact and soil erosion</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53282"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Amounts-and-variability#ref53282">Surface runoff</a></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref53283"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Atmospheric-pressure-and-wind">Atmospheric pressure and wind</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref53284"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Atmospheric-pressure-and-wind#ref53284">Atmospheric pressure</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref53285"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Wind">Wind</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53286"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Wind#ref53286">Relationship of wind to pressure and governing forces</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53287" class="has-children"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Cyclones-and-anticyclones">Cyclones and anticyclones</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53288"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Extratropical-cyclones">Extratropical cyclones</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53289"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Anticyclones">Anticyclones</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53290"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Anticyclones#ref53290">Cyclone and anticyclone climatology</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53291" class="has-children"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Anticyclones#ref53291">Local winds</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53292"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Scale-classes">Scale classes</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref53293"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Scale-classes#ref53293">Local wind systems</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53294"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Zonal-surface-winds">Zonal surface winds</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref53295"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Monsoons">Monsoons</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref272943"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Monsoons#ref272943">Diurnal variability</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref272944"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Monsoons#ref272944">Intra-annual variability</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref272945"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Monsoons#ref272945">Interannual variability</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref272946"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Upper-level-winds">Upper-level winds</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53301"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Upper-level-winds#ref53301">Characteristics</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53302"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Propagation-and-development-of-waves">Propagation and development of waves</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53303"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Propagation-and-development-of-waves#ref53303">Relationships to surface features</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53304"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Jet-streams">Jet streams</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref53305"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Winds-in-the-stratosphere-and-mesosphere">Winds in the stratosphere and mesosphere</a></li></ul></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref301633"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Climate-and-the-oceans">Climate and the oceans</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref301634"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Climate-and-the-oceans#ref301634">The ocean surface and climate anomalies</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref301635"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Formation-of-tropical-cyclones">Formation of tropical cyclones</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref301636"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Formation-of-tropical-cyclones#ref301636">Conditions associated with cyclone formation</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref301637"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Formation-of-tropical-cyclones#ref301637">Effects of tropical cyclones on ocean waters</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref301638"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Formation-of-tropical-cyclones#ref301638">Influence on atmospheric circulation and rainfall</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref301639"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Poleward-transfer-of-heat">Poleward transfer of heat</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref301640"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/Poleward-transfer-of-heat#ref301640">Thermohaline circulation</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref301641"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/The-Gulf-Stream">The Gulf Stream</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref301642"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/The-Gulf-Stream#ref301642">The Kuroshio</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref301643"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/El-Nino-Southern-Oscillation-and-climatic-change">El Niño/Southern Oscillation and climatic change</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref301644"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/climate-meteorology/El-Nino-Southern-Oscillation-and-climatic-change#ref301644">The El Niño 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Author of <em>The Atmosphere and Ocean.</em></div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> Neil C. 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They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-11-22T00:00:00CST" >Nov 22, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/science/climate-meteorology/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Key People: </dt> <dd><a href="/biography/Charles-Greeley-Abbot" topicid="579">Charles Greeley Abbot</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Frank-Hall-Knowlton" topicid="1352459">Frank Hall Knowlton</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Ellsworth-Huntington" topicid="277146">Ellsworth Huntington</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Eduard-Bruckner" topicid="81985">Eduard Brückner</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Related Topics: </dt> <dd><a href="/science/climate-change" topicid="121632">climate change</a></dd> <dd><a href="/science/Koppen-climate-classification" topicid="322068">Köppen climate classification</a></dd> <dd><a href="/science/urban-climate" topicid="619425">urban climate</a></dd> <dd><a href="/science/microclimate" topicid="380278">microclimate</a></dd> <dd><a href="/science/highland-climate" topicid="265518">highland climate</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>On the Web: </dt> <dd><a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/clim/32/10/jcli-d-18-0472.1.xml" target="_blank">American Meteorological Society - Journal of Climate - Climate Variability and Change of Mediterranean-Type Climates</a> (Nov. 22, 2024)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/climate-meteorology"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><div class="bg-gray-50 p-15 rounded module-spacing recent-news d-flex flex-column float-false"> <div> <h2 class="font-weight-bold font-14 m-0 d-inline"> News <span class="text-gray-600">•</span> </h2> <div class="recent-news-item first-recent-news-item d-inline"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/live-updates/climate-environment-updates" rel="nofollow">Climate and environment updates: Climate leaders call for major overhaul of COP summit</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 15, 2024, 12:28 AM ET (ABC News (U.S.)) </span> </div> </div> <div class="rest-of-recent-news-items"> <button class="js-toggle-recent-news d-flex btn btn-unstyled font-14 pr-10 rounded-sm mt-10" aria-label="Toggle additional news items"> Show less <em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </button> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref149476"></span>climate</strong>, conditions of the <span id="ref149477"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/atmosphere" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">atmosphere</a> at a particular location over a long period of time; it is the long-term summation of the atmospheric elements (and their variations) that, over short time periods, <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="constitute" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constitute" data-type="MW">constitute</a> <span id="ref149475"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/weather" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">weather</a>. These elements are <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/solar-radiation" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">solar radiation</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/temperature" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">temperature</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/humidity" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">humidity</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/precipitation" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">precipitation</a> (type, frequency, and amount), <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/atmospheric-pressure" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">atmospheric pressure</a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/wind" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">wind</a> (speed and direction).</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="239343" data-asm-type="video"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="video" video-id="204523"><a data-id="204523" class="gtm-assembly-link d-flex justify-content-center" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9" href="/video/more-weather-climate/-239343"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/23/204523-138-A67F2633/more-weather-climate.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop" alt="What's the difference between weather and climate?" loading="lazy"><script type="application/json"> { "sources": [ { "file" : "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/hJOWKxd6.m3u8" } ], "image": "https://cdn.britannica.com/23/204523-138-A67F2633/more-weather-climate.jpg" ,"tracks": [ { "file" : "//assets-jpcust.jwpsrv.com/tracks/wUbWJjRF", "label": "English" } ] ,"adfile": "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/DHftf5yG.m3u8" } </script><div class="btn btn-xl btn-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="top: 50%; transform: translateY(-50%)"><em class="material-icons" data-icon="play_arrow"></em></div></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><span class="md-assembly-title font-weight-bold mr-5 d-inline font-sans-serif md-video-caption" video-control="204523">What's the difference between weather and climate?</span><span>Even in our warming world, there will be some chilly evenings.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div><a class="font-14 mt-10 d-inline-block" href="/science/climate-meteorology/images-videos">See all videos for this article</a></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">From the ancient Greek origins of the word (<em>klíma</em>, “an inclination or slope”—e.g., of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Sun" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sun’s</a> rays; a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/latitude" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">latitude</a> zone of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Earth" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Earth</a>; a clime) and from its earliest usage in English, climate has been understood to mean the atmospheric conditions that prevail in a given <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/region-geography" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">region</a> or zone. In the older form, <em>clime</em>, it was sometimes taken to include all aspects of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/environment" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">environment</a>, including the natural vegetation. The best modern definitions of climate regard it as <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="constituting" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constituting" data-type="MW">constituting</a> the total experience of weather and atmospheric behaviour over a number of years in a given region. Climate is not just the “average weather” (an obsolete, and always inadequate, definition). It should include not only the average values of the climatic elements that prevail at different times but also their extreme ranges and variability and the frequency of various occurrences. Just as one year differs from another, decades and centuries are found to differ from one another by a smaller, but sometimes significant, amount. Climate is therefore time-dependent, and climatic values or indexes should not be quoted without specifying what years they refer to.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">This article treats the factors that produce weather and climate and the complex processes that cause variations in both. Other major points of coverage include global climatic types and microclimates. The article also considers both the impact of climate on human life and the effects of human activities on climate. For details concerning the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="disciplines" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disciplines" data-type="MW">disciplines</a> of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/meteorology" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">meteorology</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/climatology" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">climatology</a>, <em>see</em> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/climate-change" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">climatic variation and change</a>. <em>See also</em> the article <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/evolution-of-the-atmosphere-1703862" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">atmosphere</a> for further information about the properties and behaviour of the atmospheric system. Relevant data on the influence of the oceans and of atmospheric moisture on climate can be found in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/hydrosphere" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">hydrosphere</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":42,"pageId":121560,"pageLength":378,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"D","adLeg":"D","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"PAGINATED","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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