PUPIL RESOURCES

People are always talking about the weather.  We greet each other with comments about how the weather spoilt the summer festival, ruined the tennis match or how good weather made the holiday a success.  Weather affects our lives in many ways.

There are often reports in the news of international disasters caused by bad weather.  Long periods without rain, called droughts, have caused severe famines in Africa where thousands of people have died from starvation. Violent storms called hurricanes can demolish houses, cause widespread damage and flooding. 

In Britain, fog on motorways can lead to traffic accidents and injury, during continuous cold weather many old people die from hypothermia, and frost and wind can damage farmers’ crops.

We are also affected by weather in ways that do not make headline news.  We have to pay fuel bills to keep us warm in winter and to keep fridges cool in summer.   We need weatherproof clothing, and food with extra calories to maintain our body heat in cold weather.  Illnesses may be affected depending upon the weather.  Doctors suggest that asthma and heart conditions are improved by warm, dry weather conditions.

Britain’s climate offers a variety of weather conditions.  Seasonal changes may be predicted, but weather changes from day to day, so it is more difficult to forecast. 

When will it happen? - most likely, quite likely, least likely.

There are four main seasons identified in Britain's climate- spring, summer, autumn and winter.Read the statements below and decide which season it applies to. Decide which of the seasons you think is most likely, then decide which season you think would be quite likely and then finally decide which season would be least likely.

Make sure you write a clear explanation of your choices including as much information linked to weather and climate as you can.

Statements:
1. The weather forecasts include air quality alerts.
2. The main UK power stations stock up on coal.
3. There are higher evapotranspiration rates.
4. There are higher rates of surface run off.
5. You are more likely to see birds returning to Britain.
6. The environment agency implements emergency measures.
7. Mr Smith is fed up with waiting for his train again - he keeps being late for work.
8. There is faster erosion of riverbanks.
9. Mrs Burke gets her lawnmower out for the shed for the first time in the year.
10.Boots the Chemist announce record sales in anti histamines.