Climate vs Weather – Difference and Comparison
Climate holds an important place in our own life. Our life and various economic activities (agriculture, industries, commerce, etc.) are affected by climate. Climate has also an important place in physical geography. Climate is a measure of the average pattern of variation in temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, precipitation, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological variables in a given region over long periods of time. Any
independent study of each of these elements does not present any comprehensive view of climate. On the basis of these elements, there could be thousands of types of climates in the world.
Climate & Weather
The difference between weather and climate is that weather consists of the short-term (minutes to months) changes in the atmosphere while climate is the average of weather over time and space. In most places, weather can change from minute-to-minute, hour-to-hour, dayto-day, and season-to-season. Climate, however, is the average of weather over time and space.
Comparison between Weather and Climate
| Climate | Weather | |
| Definition | Describes the average conditions expected at a specific place over a long period of time. A region’s climate is generated by the climate system, which has five components: atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, land surface and biosphere. | Describes the atmospheric conditions at a specific place at a specific point in time. Weather generally refers to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity |
| Components | Climate may include precipitation, temperature, humidity, sunshine, and wind velocity, phenomena such as fog, frost, and hail storms over a long period of time. | Weather includes sunshine, rain, cloud cover, winds, hail, snow, sleet, freezing rain, flooding, blizzards, ice storms, thunderstorms, steady rains from a cold front or warm front, excessive heat, heat waves and more |
| Forecast | By aggregates of weather statistics over periods of 30 years | By collecting meteorological data, like air temperature, pressure, humidity, solar radiation, wind speeds and direction etc. |
| Determining factors | Aggregating weather statistics over periods of 301 years. | Real-time measurements of atmospheric pressure, temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, precipitation, cloud cover and other variables. |
| Time period | Measured over a long period | Measured for short term |
| Study | Climatology | Meteorology |
Importance of Climate and Weather
The influence of climate and weather can be seen in day to day activities of human beings. Forces of nature have regulated to a very great extent the sort of food we eat, what we wear how we live and work. Conditions of temperature, precipitation and humidity may promote or discourage the growth of fungus and diseases which may be injurious to both men and crops.
Today, our activities are becoming more and more dependent upon meteorological services.
Meteorological stations are set up all over the globe to provide weather updates and predict
future conditions. A fair knowledge of the weather is not only useful but often essential.
