Weather Elements
Weather is described by elements including temperature, rainfall, wind, pressure, humidity and cloud cover.
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Play with the controls to see the idea in action.
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Weather is described by elements including temperature, rainfall, wind, pressure, humidity and cloud cover.
- A thermometer measures temperature
- A barometer measures pressure
- Humidity is the water vapour in the air
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is Weather Elements?
Within Earth & Environmental Science, which covers our planet, its resources and ecosystems, and how people can protect the environment, this topic explains Weather Elements. Earth and environment topics show how the planet’s systems shape landscapes, climate and life, with models that make these processes visible.
Check that you can explain Weather Elements in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding Weather Elements helps you explain the environment around you and weigh up how people can protect it.
Weather Elements in detail
Weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere. Its elements are temperature (measured with a thermometer), precipitation (rain gauge), air pressure (barometer), wind speed and direction (anemometer and wind vane), humidity (hygrometer), cloud cover and visibility, and sunshine.
These elements interact. For example, warm air holds more moisture, and falling pressure often brings clouds and rain. Weather stations record data in a screen that shields instruments from direct sun. Weather differs from climate, which is the long-term average. Understanding the elements is the basis of forecasting and of studying climate.
How the interactive helps you understand Weather Elements
Click a step, or use the Previous and Next buttons, to move through the sequence one stage at a time. Auto-play moves on for you.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Weather Elements.
Real-life uses and examples
- Explain how Weather Elements affects the landscape or climate near you.
- Link Weather Elements to a real environmental problem and a possible solution.
- Use a diagram of Weather Elements to describe the steps of a process in order.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Describing a process without the timescale it works over.
- Presenting one cause as the only cause of an environmental change.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about Weather Elements
What is Weather Elements?
Weather is described by elements including temperature, rainfall, wind, pressure, humidity and cloud cover.
What are the most important points about Weather Elements?
The main points are: A thermometer measures temperature; A barometer measures pressure; Humidity is the water vapour in the air.
Why is Weather Elements useful?
Understanding Weather Elements helps you explain the environment around you and weigh up how people can protect it.
How can I practise Weather Elements?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to Weather Elements?
Related topics in Earth & Environmental Science include Storms and Extreme Weather, Climate Change Evidence, Impacts of Climate Change.