METEOROLOGICAL ELEMENTS

OBJECTIVE

DLO 1 To study weather

elements.

DLO 2 To study different

types of precipitation.

WEATHER ELEMENTS
WHAT MAY BE THE RECIPE OF WEATHER?

Atmospheric Pressure
Atmospheric Temperature
Wind Speed and Direction
Humidity
Clouds
Visibility
Dew-point Temperature
Present State of Weather

ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

The force exerted by a column of unit

cross-section area of atmosphere on
surface of earth or on the point from which
it is being measured is known as
atmospheric pressure.

It is measured in Millibars.

ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE

Who will remind us the definition of

temperature?

The average kinetic energy of molecules

of
atmosphere
is
atmospheric
temperature.

measured by thermometer and its units

are C, F and Kelvin.

WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION

The horizontal flow of air is called

wind.
It is measured by windsock or wind
vane & anemometer.
The unit of wind speed is m/S, Km/h,
Knots etc. and units of wind direction
are
360
degrees
or
simple
geographical directions e.g. E, S, N,
W, SW, NE etc.

MEASUREMENT OF WIND

10 KTS

WIND WILL BE DEPICTED AS

270/10 KTS

HUMIDITY

The amount of moisture present in the air is

termed as humidity.

The higher is the temperature, the larger will

be the amount of moisture that may be held
in the air without reaching saturation.

This is generally measured by the use of

Psychrometer.

VISIBILITY

Visibility is defined as the maximum

horizontal distance at which a well-known
object may be seen and recognized by an
observer of normal eyesight by the unaided
eyes.

The visibility may vary considerably within

the lower-most layer of the atmosphere and
it is generally poorest at the ground.

As it is a distance therefore its units are

Km, m, feet etc.

DEW-POINT TEMPERATURE

The temperature up to which a parcel of air

becomes saturated when it is cooled down is
known as dew point temperature.

As it is a temperature therefore its units are

that of temperature.

The difference between air temperature and

dew-point temperature indicates how far
away the air is to become saturated.

From this difference, degree of instability of

the air may also be estimated.

TYPES OF PRECIPITATION

(a) Drizzle:

Fairly Uniform precipitation in fine drops of

water with diameter of the drops less than
0.5 mm.

The drops can only reach the ground

without evaporating if they fall from very
low clouds. Generally the heavier is the
drizzle, the lower will be the cloud base.

Visibility is inversely related to the intensity

of precipitation.

(b) Rain:
Falling drops of water or Precipitation of
liquid water droplets of appreciable size
(greater than 0.5mm), which are either
larger or much scattered, than the drops
in drizzle, are called rain.

(c) Shower:

Showers are characterised by the

suddenness of the precipitation (rain,
snow etc.).

It starts, stops, or changes in intensity

rapidly.

Some times no definite clearing occurs

between showers.

(d) Sleet:

Globular and hard grains of ice, ranging from

1/25th to 4/25th of an inch in size is called
sleet.

They rebound when falling on hard surface.

(e) Hail:

It is transparent, partly or completely opaque

piece of ice (hail stones) with a diameter
generally between 5 and 50 mm.

Qs For Assignment

What is the definition of weather

elements?

How the wind is defined?

What is dew point temperature?

What are the types of precipitation?