How does weather happen?
For this section we're going to focus on clouds and the rain that falls out of them and try to understand why this happens. So, what makes it rain? and why does it rain in some places more than others? The first question we need to think about (especially living in Hong Kong) is; where does all of the water come from? |
Where does all of the water come from?
There is a lot of water in the world but we need to understand the exact reasons why it gets lifted into the air to be dropped on our heads. It is actually part of a continuous flow of water around the world in different forms. Some of you may know this as 'The Water Cycle'. We will discuss this and see how much we can piece together about this cyclical flow of water, ice and gas. |
There is a song on youtube that can help you remember more details about the water cycle. But beware! it will stay in your head forever!!
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What makes it rain?
All rain actually starts as snow and ice before it falls to the ground, but most of it melts on the way down. This is because the water particles held in the air are forced to rise up in the atmosphere where it is colder. This happens in 3 distinctive ways. In today's lesson we are going to talk about these so that we can recognise the different ways that rain can happen. You should be able to draw a diagram to explain the ways that rain falls. |
Why do some clouds look bigger and fluffier than others?
When you look up you can see a lot of different clouds in the sky. There are actually categories for these clouds so that we can recognise them and better understand what is happening in the sky. Your job will be to produce an information sheet about the major cloud types.
When you look up you can see a lot of different clouds in the sky. There are actually categories for these clouds so that we can recognise them and better understand what is happening in the sky. Your job will be to produce an information sheet about the major cloud types.
Global cloud analysis (Extension)
Open up the website on the right, it shows us global conditions for a number of weather characteristics. Look for "Clouds and rain" in the bottom right menu and click on the arrow. Select "low clouds". 1)Firstly, look at the pattern of clouds and then write a description of the global distribution of clouds. Remember to mention some regions or continents of the world. Look for any patterns (are the clouds clustered in one area? are there areas with no clouds?) are there other patterns (more clouds over oceans or land). 2) Answer this question "What is the relationship between wind and clouds?" |