climate
Thunderstorm near Garajau, Madeira
Part of the nature series
Weather
Calendar seasons
Winter Spring Summer Autumn
Tropical seasons
Dry season Wet season
Storms
Cloud Cumulonimbus cloud Arcus cloud Downburst Microburst Heat burst Dust storm Simoom Haboob Monsoon Gale Sirocco Firestorm Lightning Supercell Thunderstorm Severe thunderstorm Thundersnow Storm surge Tornado Cyclone Mesocyclone Anticyclone Tropical cyclone (Hurricane) Extratropical cyclone European windstorm Atlantic Hurricane Typhoon Derecho Landspout Dust devil Fire whirl Waterspout Winter storm Ice storm Blizzard Ground blizzard Snowsquall
Precipitation
Drizzle (Freezing drizzle) Graupel Hail Ice pellets (Diamond dust) Rain (Freezing rain) Cloudburst Snow Rain and snow mixed Snow grains Snow roller Slush
Topics
Air pollution Atmosphere
Chemistry Convection Physics River Climate Cloud Physics Fog Cold wave Heat wave Jet stream Meteorology Severe weather List Extreme
Weather forecasting
Glossaries
Glossary of meteorology
Cumulus clouds in fair weather.jpeg Weather portal
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Weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy.[1] Most weather phenomena occur in the lowest level of the atmosphere, the troposphere,[2][3] just below the stratosphere.
Why is climate important?
Sheffield floods July 07Scenes of flooding and storms show us just how much weather and climate can affect our lives. Understanding and predicting what the coming winter might bring, or predicting how climate will change over the next century is of vital importance - both for our economy and for society.
Climate can be thought of as the average or typical weather conditions we experience. Scientists know that climate varies naturally on many timescales and they know that people are affecting climate - particularly through emissions of greenhouse gases.
In NCAS-Climate, scientists are investigating how natural and human factors are affecting climate and what this means for the future.