2.

WEATHER BASICS (METEOROLOGY): ATMOSPHERIC WATERS

Meteorology
o Science that deals with the study of the atmosphere and its phenomena especially with weather

Weather
o Mix of events that happen each day in our atmosphere. Weather is different in different parts of the world
and changes over minutes, hours, days and weeks. Most weather happens in the troposphere, the part of
Earth’s atmosphere that is closest to the ground.

o Condition of the atmosphere at a particular place over a short period of time in terms of:
 Wind
 Precipitation (rain, snow)
 Temperature
 Sunshine
 Humidity
 Pressure
 Cloud
 Visibility

1st Set of Weather Elements

The sun causes all our weather because it heats the Earth unevenly. The
contrast between Earth’s hot parts and cold parts turns the atmosphere into
a powerful engine. This engine keeps the cold and warm air moving, thus
makes changes in air pressure. Those air pressure changes cause wind
o Sunshine
o Air Pressure
o Wind

Climate
o An average portrait of weather conditions in a specific place over a long period.
o It considers the average weather conditions and its variability to give a long-term view of the weather being
experienced by a certain area (ISDR, 2008)

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Climate of the Philippines (http://bagong.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/information/climate-philippines, accessed June 2018)
The Climate of the Philippines is tropical and maritime. It is characterized by relatively high temperature,
high humidity and abundant rainfall. It is similar in many respects to the climate of the countries of Central
America. Temperature, humidity, and rainfall, which are discussed hereunder, are the most important elements
of the country's weather and climate.

Temperature
Based on the average of all weather stations in the Philippines, excluding Baguio, the mean annual
temperature is 26.6°C. The coolest months fall in January with a mean temperature of 25.5°C while the warmest
month occurs in May with a mean temperature of 28.3°C. Latitude is an insignificant factor in the variation of
temperature while altitude shows greater contrast in temperature. Thus, the mean annual temperature of Baguio
with an elevation of 1,500 meters is 18.3°C. This makes the temperature of Baguio comparable with those in the
temperate climate and because of this, it is known as the summer capital of the Philippines.
The difference between the mean annual temperature of the southernmost station in Zamboanga and that
of the northernmost station in Laoag is insignificant. In other words, there is essentially no difference in the
mean annual temperature of places in Luzon, Visayas or Mindanao measured at or near sea level.

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 Humidity
Humidity refers to the moisture content of the atmosphere. Due to high temperature and the surrounding
bodies of water, the Philippines has a high relative humidity. The average monthly relative humidity varies
between 71 percent in March and 85 percent in September. The combination of warm temperature and high
relative and absolute humidities give rise to high sensible temperature throughout the archipelago. It is
especially uncomfortable during March to May, when temperature and humidity attain their maximum levels.

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 Rainfall
Rainfall is the most important climatic element in the Philippines. Rainfall distribution throughout the
country varies from one region to another, depending upon the direction of the moisture-bearing winds and the
location of the mountain systems.
The mean annual rainfall of the Philippines varies from 965 to 4,064 millimeters annually. Baguio City,
eastern Samar, and eastern Surigao receive the greatest amount of rainfall while the southern portion of
Cotabato receives the least amount of rain. At General Santos City in Cotabato, the average annual rainfall is
only 978 millimeters.

The Seasons
Using temperature and rainfall as bases, the climate of the country can be divided into two major
seasons: (1) the rainy season, from June to November; and (2) the dry season, from December to May. The dry
season may be subdivided further into (a) the cool dry season, from December to February; and (b) the hot dry
season, from March to May.

Climate Types
Based on the distribution of rainfall, four climate types are recognized, which are described as follows:
Type I: two pronounced season: dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year.
Maximum rain period is from June to September.
Type II: no dry season with a very pronounced maximum rain period from December to February.
There is not a single dry month. Minimum monthly rainfall occurs during the period from
March to May.
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 Type III: no very pronounced maximum rain period with a dry season lasting only from one to
three months, either during the period from December to February or from March to May.
This type resembles types I since it has short dry season.
Type IV: rainfall is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year. This type resembles type 2
since it has no dry season.

This system of climate classification was devised by Fr. J. Corona in 1920 (Lantican 2001) (1903-
1918)"

Typhoons have a great influence on the climate and weather conditions of the Philippines. A great
portion of the rainfall, humidity and cloudiness are due to the influence of typhoons. They generally originate in
the region of the Marianas and Caroline Islands of the Pacific Ocean which have the same latitudinal location as
Mindanao. Their movements follow a northwesterly direction, sparing Mindanao from being directly hit by
majorty of the typhoons that cross the country. This makes the southern Philippines very desirable for
agriculture and industrial development.

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2.1 The Atmosphere: Composition, General Characteristics and Stability
Atmosphere
o Layer of gases surrounding the Earth that is held in place by Earth’s gravity.

Air Pressure
Air pressure is caused by the weight of the huge numbers of air molecules that make up the
atmosphere. Typically, when air pressure is high there skies are clear and blue. The high pressure causes air
to flow down and fan out when it gets near the ground, preventing clouds from forming. When air pressure
is low, air flows together and then upward where it converges, rising, cooling, and forming clouds.
Remember to bring an umbrella with you on low pressure days because those clouds might cause rain or
other types of precipitation.

2.2 Introduction of Cloud Physics: Nucleation, Growth and Distribution.

See videos

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