The weather and climate of an area is one way of seeing what wildlife and plants you can find in that area.
Weather
What factors affect the weather of a place?
There are many factors that affect the weather, including:
- the time of year
- how close the place is to the equator
- the type of climate that the area has (desert, rainforest, etc.)
- whether the jet stream goes through the area, and if so, in what direction
Climate
What are the types of climate?
There are 5 main types of climate that you can find across the world.
Tropical
The tropical climate can be found in areas close to the equator. Tropical areas have high temperatures, harsh sunlight and regular rain. Areas with a tropical climate can be rainforests or savannas. They can also be monsoon areas, where a large amount of the year’s rain falls in a few months, causing severe floods. Monsoon areas include India, parts of China and the Philippines.
Dry
The dry climate can be found in areas near the equator. As the name suggests, very little rain falls in this climate. Dry climates are very hot, with temperatures reaching 50°C in the middle of the day. Not many plants and animals can survive these extreme conditions.
Temperate
The temperate climate can be found in the area between tropical and polar areas. Temperate climate areas include northern Europe (UK and France) and parts of the USA. Unlike the dry and tropical climates, temperate climates have 4 seasons. Temperatures vary more than in dry and tropical climates.
Continental
The continental climate can be found in areas where it isn’t close enough to the equator to have a tropical climate, but it isn’t close to any oceans. Temperatures vary more than in temperate climates because there isn’t an ocean nearby to moderate the temperatures. This climate type can be found in Eastern Europe, Russia, parts of Germany and the north-east of the USA.
Polar
The polar climate can be found in the far north and south of the Earth (near the Arctic and Antarctica). Temperatures can be between -80°C in the winter and 10°C in the summer.