The term weather should not be confused with climate, though they are very closely related to each other in the study of meteorology and climatology. We don't hear people saying that the climate of the day is warm or cold, but we do talk of warm weather, a cold morning, a sunny afternoon, a rainy day or a chilly night. Any casual remarks about the atmospheric conditions of a certain place at a certain time are about weather. It is never static, and thus cannot be generalized. In the same country, even over a small area, the weather can vary tremendously. It may be sunny in one part of the district, but raining heavily a few miles away. Strong gales may be experienced along the coasts while the interior may be relatively calm. It is important to realise that any place can be subjected to haphazard changes in weather at any time.
When
we speak of climate we mean the average atmospheric conditions of an area over
a considerable time. For climate averages, a minimum period of 35 years is
desirable. This involves the systematic observation, recording and processing
of the various elements of climate such as rainfall, temperature, humidity, air
pressure, winds, clouds and sunshine before any standardization of the climate
means or averages can be arrived at. The climate of Malaysia is described as
hot, wet, equatorial climate which is a summing up of the average everyday
climate of the country throughout the year.
The
degree of variability in the climate or weather of a country also differs.
Generally speaking, the climate of temperate latitudes is far more variable
than that of the tropics, The climate of the the British Isles is so changeable
that many people have commented that ` Britain has no climate, only weather'.
Conversely, the climate of Egypt is so static that it makes a good deal of
sense when people say that ` Egypt has no weather, only climate'.
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