MetLink Activity 37 (all age groups)

 

Please note that the study format used in this exercise can be applied to all areas of the world. However, participants in Africa and North America are recommended to do Activities 34 and 36 respectively, as these exercises on changes in the weather have been specifically produced for those world areas.

 

Weather Changes Monday 6 February to Friday 10 February:

This activity is designed for use across the age groups to round off the two weeks of weather study. The higher the question number, the more advanced the activity is.
You will need to select from the MetLink Resources for Monday 6 February by clicking here.
You will also need to select from the MetLink Resources for Friday 10 February by clicking here.

 

The Activity:

1. Make a copy of this table:

Weather

Monday 6

Friday 10

Current
temperature

 

 

Maximum
temperature

 

 

Minimum
temperature

 

 

Current
precipitation

 

 

Precipitation
last 24 hours

 

 

Wind
direction

 

 

Wind
force

 

 

Air
pressure

 

 

Cloud
amount

 

 

Cloud
types

 

 

 

2. Find the MetLink weather observations for your school from 6 February to 10 February by clicking here. You will need to set the search information on the page which will appear to find the observations for your school.
Draw graphs to show the observations over the five days. You can choose as many of the elements of the weather as you wish to graph, but you should definitely include temperature and rainfall.
A method for showing most of the information on a single graph can be seen by clicking here.

 

3. Describe in your own words the changes that have taken place in the weather this week at the place where your school is located.

 

4. This question is optional: You may wish to find out about changes in the weather in other places in the country in which you live. Do this by clicking here, selecting your country and the correct dates and then searching.
If you live in the UK, or wish to study the weather of the UK, you can find all of the details of the weather observations made by the UK Met Office by clicking here.

 

5. From the MetLink Resources pages linked above, find satellite images for your part of the world for Monday and Friday. Compare the images for Monday and Friday. Describe any things which are similar. Describe any things that are different.

 

6. If you live in Europe (including the UK) or wish to study the weather of Europe, look at the Europe Weather Overview Maps for 6 February by clicking here for the 06:00UTC map and clicking here for the 12:00UTC map, and for 9 February by clicking here for the 06:00UTC map. These maps are available for 10 February so this is why we are using the one that is available for 9 February. However, you may be interested to see two different types of presentation – a chart showing significant weather – at 09:00UTC on 10 February by clicking here, and an actual temperature map for 09:00UTC on 10 February by clicking here. As with many of the images, if you click on them they become larger and clearer. The key for the Overview Maps can be seen by clicking here.

 

7. Compare the weather charts (pressure maps) for your part of the world on 6 February and 10 February by using the MetLink Resources pages linked above. Look at the positions of the anticyclones, areas of high pressure (H). Look at the positions of depressions, areas of low pressure (L).
Look at the positions of the fronts.
+ Describe the changes that have taken place between 6 February and 10 February, and also describe anything which has changed little or not at all.
+ Suggest how these changes have affected the weather.