Weather and Climate are two important entity of natural environment which directly or indirectly affects many of our activities.
Difference between Weather and Climate:-
Weather is the conditions of atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere "behaves" over relatively long periods of time. Weather consists of the short-term (minutes to months) changes in the atmosphere like in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, atmospheric pressure etc.,
Climate, on the other hand is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a particular area like averages of precipitation, temperature, humidity, sunshine, wind velocity, phenomena such as fog, frost, and hail storms, and other measures of the weather that occur over a long period in a particular place.
Importance of Weather and Climate in Agriculture and Horticulture:-
Knowledge of Agro meteorology which deals with Weather and Climate is very essential in Agriculture and Horticulture. Agro meteorological Data helps farmers to make suitable planning of the farm and take decision on various farm operation. Weather forecasting plays a vital role for farmers because of following reasons:- .
Geographical factors influencing weather and climate are referred to as climate controls. They are:
The distance from the equator, either from south or north, largely creates variations in climate. Based on latitude, the climate has been classified as tropical, subtropical, temperate and polar climates. The height from mean sea level adds to variation in climate. Temperature and pressure decreases with increasing height from mean sea level. Based on altitude, the climate is described as mountainous and valley climates. Nearness to large bodies of water also causes variation in climate. The climates are referred to as continental and maritime.
Important link for Weather and Climate
