Climate and weather notes

A valley climate is the local climate that develops because of the shape of a valley. The two slopes do not receive the same amount of sun, and they heat and cool differently from the floor. The…

A mid-latitude cyclone is a large, moving low-pressure system that forms in the temperate latitudes. It is also called a frontal depression, temperate cyclone or extra-tropical cyclone. In the…

A tropical cyclone is an intense low-pressure system that develops over warm tropical oceans. It has no warm or cold fronts. Energy comes from latent heat released when moist air condenses. In the…

Cities create their own microclimate. Compared with the surrounding countryside they are usually warmer, drier at the surface, windier in some places and calmer in others, and more polluted. Two…

A subtropical anticyclone is a large, semi-permanent high-pressure cell that sits near 30° S (and 30° N). Air subsides in the centre, diverges at the surface, and warms adiabatically as it descends…