Welcome to Week 3

Welcome back to your final week of ‘Come Rain or Shine: Understanding the Weather’.

In Weeks 1 and 2 you explored the weather systems experienced within the mid-latitudes, particularly focusing on the UK. But what about elsewhere?

This week we take a more global view and explore some of the weather patterns in the Tropics – looking at why they’re so different to those experienced in the mid-latitudes.

You’ll find out more about global atmospheric circulation, learn how to read a weather chart and provide details about wind speed and direction, precipitation and cloud cover.

You’ll also discover how the Earth’s climate (on a global scale) is determined by the balance between energy absorbed and energy emitted, along with the consequences of this balance – bringing extreme weather such as hurricanes, cyclones and monsoon.

There’ll also be the chance to try another practical activity, which will consolidate some of your earlier learning and introduce you to the art of drawing contours.

Finally, if you’re a teacher or simply want to continue your online learning, we’ve provided a summary of freely available, online resources at the end of this week.

Don’t forget, you can also view the figures for Week 3, A-Z glossary, and the course supplement as you go through the week.