Types of rain
In Week 1 you explored how rain forms when air cools, the rate of condensation becomes faster than the rate at which water is evaporating and cloud droplets form. If …
Course: Come Rain or Shine: Understanding the Weather
Identifying air masses on a weather map
In this activity, your task is to work out what the weather was like in the UK, from the three weather maps provided below. Your answers must be based, only, …
Recognising air masses
Now you’ve completed the quiz in the previous Step, take a look at the table below which summarises what is happening to the air from the four major air masses …
UK Air Masses
Let’s think about the properties and characteristics of the air reaching the UK. Let’s start with the concept of air masses and consider the properties of the air that will …
Reading a weather map
In this second exercise, your task is to identify what the weather is currently doing in each of the marked examples (Figures 1–4). Don’t worry about how the weather might …
The Coriolis Effect
In this video, Pete uses a turntable and a ball to simulate the effect of the Coriolis force. The ball is deflected on a curved trajectory, across a rotating surface, …
Pressure and wind
In Step 1.10 you explored why cloud and rain are associated with a depression. But why are they low pressure systems, and how do we get wind? First of all …
Storms in the UK: Recent Mid-Latitude Depressions
Mid-latitude depressions are areas of low pressure located between 30° and 60° latitude, causing unsettled weather and rain. The winter of 2013/14 brought 12 major mid-latitude depressions to the UK. …
Summing up Week 1
Congratulations on reaching the end of Week 1! Hopefully, you feel that you have a better understanding of the weather systems which bring the UK, and other mid-latitude countries most …
Sylvia’s solution
Join Sylvia to find out how you got on this week. In this film Sylvia demonstrates the solutions to the weather map exercises in the previous two Steps, and explains …
Weather forecast game
Now that you have completed Week 1, you may like to turn your hand to trying to predict the weather. Your task is to try and predict 4 elements of …
Faster cold fronts
Please note you may find some of this material challenging. If you find yourself getting stuck don’t worry – help is on hand. Raise your questions in the comments area …
Conveyor belt case studies
In this Step we explore two case studies that provide further insight into conveyor belts. October 28 2013 The animation above, provided by the Met Office, is from the St. …
Conveyor belts
Please note you may find some of this material challenging. If you find yourself getting stuck don’t worry – help is on hand. Raise your questions in the comments area …
Clouds in a bottle
In this video Sylvia demonstrates how changes in pressure result in cloud formation, using a plastic bottle and a bicycle pump. The bike pump increases the pressure, and therefore the …