A GLOSSARY OF ONE HUNDRED COMMON WEATHER WORDS

Geoff Jenkins
2nd Edition

ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY 104 OXFORD ROAD READING BERKSHIRE RG1 7LL
Telephone: +44 (0)118 956 8500 Fax: +44 (0)118 956 8571 E-mail: execdir@royalmetsoc.org WWW: http://www.royalmetsoc.org
Registered Charity Number 208222 Copyright 2001 Royal Meteorological Society ISBN 0 948 090 18 9

A GLOSSARY OF ONE HUNDRED COMMON WEATHER WORDS

We asked schoolteachers, mainly from primary schools, for a list of weatherrelated words they would like explained in a glossary. The explanations were then tested on teachers to make sure they were understandable. We have tried to ensure that, in keeping the explanations simple, the correct meaning has been conveyed. If there are other words or terms that you think should be included, please let us know and we shall consider them for inclusion in future revisions of this booklet.

A
ACID RAIN
Rain which is more acidic than usual because of pollution sulphur dioxide from power stations, for example.

AIR
The mixture of gases constituting the atmosphere.

AIR MASS
A large extent of air, hundreds or thousands of kilometres across, all at roughly the same temperature and humidity at ground level.

AIR PRESSURE
The weight of atmosphere above a unit area of ground. Atmospheric pressure (at sea level) is about 100,000 newtons per square metre, which equals 1000 millibars (see MILLIBAR).

ALTOCUMULUS
A patch or sheet of cloud at middle altitudes, broken into rolls or bubbles which are often regular.

ALTOSTRATUS
A sheet of middle-altitude cloud, generally very uniform, through which the sun is visible as if through ground glass.

ANEMOMETER
An instrument for measuring wind speed. One of the most common types has three cups which rotate faster when the wind is stronger.

ANTICYCLONE
A region where the air pressure is high. Sometimes called HIGH (see the weather chart on page 10). The weather in an anticyclone is usually clear and fine.

ATMOSPHERE
The envelope of gas around the earth. It is four-fifths nitrogen and one-fifth oxygen, but other gases (for example water vapour, ozone and carbon dioxide) are present in very small amounts.

AZORES HIGH
Part of the subtropical high pressure belt in the northern hemisphere. In summertime, a ridge from this High sometimes extends across the British Isles for a week or more, giving extended good weather.

B
BACKING
The wind backs when its direction changes anticlockwise from westerly to southerly through south-westerly, for example.

BAROMETER
An instrument for measuring air pressure. A BAROGRAPH records on a strip of paper the way the pressure changes over a day or a week.

BEAUFORT SCALE
A scale of wind strength which is based on the behaviour of trees, smoke, etc. or on the state of the sea. Force 0 is Calm and Force 10 is Storm. For the full Beaufort scale of wind force for land areas, see page 9.

BLANKET EFFECT
At night, clouds reduce the amount of heat leaving the earth and keep the earth warmer than it would be on a clear night.

BLIZZARD
Snow falling, accompanied by a strong wind.

C
CHINOOK
A warm dry wind which sometimes blows in the eastern Rocky Mountains. It is the same type as a FHN (or FOEHN) wind.

CIRROCUMULUS
Thin, uniform, fibrous, high-level ice crystal cloud, broken up into small ripples or bubbles.

CIRROSTRATUS
Thin high-level ice crystal cloud, often producing optical effects such as haloes or sun dogs.

CIRRUS
The highest type of cloud, made of ice crystals and wispy in appearance.

CLIMATE
The long-term average of weather at a place. When averaged over the world it is known as Global Climate.

CLOUD COVER
The amount of cloud in the sky. Usually estimated in eighths (oktas). Eight-eighths (8/8) is totally cloudy (overcast).

CONDENSATION
The formation of water droplets (or, if cold enough, ice crystals) from water vapour in the air. Clouds and fog are created when water vapour condenses.

CONVECTION
Usually used to mean rising air motion, which occurs when less dense warm air lies under more dense cold air.

CUMULUS
A type of low cloud, made of water droplets, which is sometimes described as looking like cotton wool.

CUMULONIMBUS
When cumulus clouds grow very high, they become dark and produce rain or hail. They are then called cumulonimbus clouds (nimbus being the Latin for a rain cloud). The tops of cumulonimbus clouds may be flat, so that they look like anvils.

D
DEPRESSION
A region where air pressure is low, sometimes simply called a LOW (see the weather chart on page 10). Depressions generally move quickly across mid latitudes, usually from west to east, bringing strong winds, thick cloud and rain or snow.

DEW
When the temperature falls at night, some of the water vapour in the air condenses into small water droplets on the ground (see also DEW POINT).

DEW POINT
The temperature at which air becomes saturated with water vapour. If the temperature falls any further, dew or fog is formed.

DOLDRUMS
The area of the ocean near the equator where winds are usually light and variable. Sailing ships were often becalmed in these areas.

DRIZZLE
Very fine rain, with drops having a diameter of less than 0.5 mm.

DROUGHT
An unusually long period during which no rain falls.

E
ELECTRICAL STORM
A storm which is accompanied by thunder and lightning.

EVAPORATION
The changing of (liquid) water into invisible water vapour. It is the opposite of condensation. Puddles become smaller as the water in them evaporates.

EYE
The central area of a hurricane where winds are light and skies are relatively clear.

F
FOG
Lots of small water droplets in the air, which reduces the visibility below 1 km.

FHN (or FOEHN)

When air moves over a range of mountains, it descends on the other side as a warm dry wind known as fhn.

FREEZING
When water turns from liquid to solid (ice) at 0C (freezing point).

FRONT
The region separating two air masses usually a long band of cloud and, often, rain (see the weather chart on page 10). Less-dense air rides up and overtakes cold air at a WARM FRONT. Denser air undercuts and overtakes warm air at a COLD FRONT.

FROST
A frost is said to occur when the temperature drops below 0C, either at the ground (ground frost) or in the air (air frost).

G
GALE
When the wind speed is above 34 knots (17 metres per second; Beaufort Force 8) it is termed a gale.

GLAZE
Clear ice, usually formed when rain falls on a frozen surface. Sometimes called BLACK ICE.

GREENHOUSE EFFECT
Some naturally-occurring gases in the air (particularly water vapour and carbon dioxide) act as a blanket around the earth and keep it warm. Increasing carbon dioxide from pollution will cause the earth to warm up. This will cause sea level to rise.

GULF STREAM
A warm current of water which flows from the Gulf of Mexico past Florida and up the east coast of America. It then changes its name to the North Atlantic Drift and crosses the Atlantic to northwest Europe, where it has a moderating influence on the temperatures that occur in the British Isles and other places near the ocean.

GUST
A sudden and short-lived increase in wind speed the opposite of a lull.

H
HAIL
Balls of ice which fall from storm clouds. They are usually around 5 mm diameter but can sometimes be large enough to cause damage.

HALO
A halo is a ring of light around the sun caused when the suns rays pass through ice crystals in high cloud.

HAZE
A reduction in visibility due to dust or smoke in the air.

HIGH
Another name for an ANTICYCLONE.

HUMIDITY
Humidity is a measure of the amount of water vapour in the air. Absolute humidity is the number of grams of water vapour in each kilogram of air.

HURRICANE
An intense tropical depression, with very strong winds that often cause much damage and sometimes bring tidal waves. Also called a TYPHOON or CYCLONE. Their energy comes from warm seas, so they become less intense and die out as they move inland.

HYGROMETER
An instrument for measuring the humidity of air. Often, it uses hair or paper, both of which stretch as they become moist. Sometimes, a pair of WET AND DRY BULB THERMOMETERS is used, with the temperature difference between the wet bulb and dry bulb used to calculate humidity.

I
ISOBAR
A line joining points of equal air pressure. Weather maps show patterns of isobars, usually 4 hPa apart (see the weather chart on page 10).

ISOTHERM
A line joining places of equal temperature.

ICE
Water freezes to solid ice when its temperature falls below 0C.

ICE AGES
Periods when ice covered much larger areas of the earth than nowadays. The last ice age ended about 10,000 years ago.

INVERSION
Usually, temperature decreases as we go higher in the atmosphere. When warm air overlays cold air it is known as an INVERSION. An inversion can trap pollution beneath it.

J
JET STREAM
A very fast and narrow current of air found at heights of about 10 km. Wind speeds in jet streams can reach 250 knots or more.

K
KNOT
A speed of one nautical mile per hour. One knot (kt) is about half a metre per second (actually 0.514 m/s). One knot = 1.152 statute miles per hour = 1.853 kilometres per hour.

L
LAPSE RATE
The way in which temperature changes with height. The measured temperature change is known as the Environmental Lapse Rate.

LATENT HEAT
The heat required to change ice into (liquid) water or liquid water into water vapour.

LIGHTNING
An intense spark of electricity which jumps from cloud to cloud or cloud to ground, the type of cloud involved being cumulonimbus.

LOW
See DEPRESSION.

M
MAXIMUM
The maximum temperature is the highest over a 24-hour period (usually 9 am to 9 am). The MINIMUM is the lowest temperature over the same period. Both are registered using separate thermometers or a maximum-minimum thermometer.

METEOROLOGY
The science of weather, as studied by meteorologists.

MET OFFICE
The state weather service of the United Kingdom, which makes weather forecasts for several days ahead. These forecasts are then presented to the public by means of TV, radio, newspapers, the internet, fax machines and mobile telephones.

MILLIBAR
A unit of air pressure, usually shown as mb. Another name for the millibar is hectopascal (hPa), 1 mb being 1 hPa (see PASCAL). A pressure of 1000 mb is equivalent to a weight of 100,000 newtons over one square metre.

MIST
The term used when water droplets in the air reduce visibility, but the term is not used when the visibility falls to less than 1 km, because the term FOG is then used.

MOISTURE
The general term for water in the atmosphere, as liquid or as water vapour.

MONSOON
Winds which come at certain times of year, normally bringing rain. Found in the tropics and subtropics, most notably the Indian subcontinent and south-east Asia in the period June to September.

N
NIMBOSTRATUS
A grey, dark layer of cloud with a low base, from which rain or snow falls more or less continuously.

O
OZONE
A gas in the atmosphere which filters out the harmful ultra-violet (UV) radiation that causes sunburn. Most of the ozone is in the stratosphere, where it is destroyed by the human-produced gases called CFCs.

P
PASCAL
The SI Unit of pressure (see SI). A pascal (Pa) is the pressure exerted by a force of one newton acting uniformly and perpendicularly over an area of one square metre.

POLLUTION
Gases and dust put into the air by human activity. Examples include nitrogen oxides from motor cars, carbon dioxide from power stations and methane from gas pipelines.

PRECIPITATION
The general name for any water that falls from clouds, including rain, drizzle, snow, sleet and hail.

R
RADIOSONDE
An instrument carried aloft by a weather balloon. It measures pressure, temperature and humidity and sends the information to the ground by means of radio signals. By tracking the balloons, wind speed and wind direction can be measured.

RAIN
Water droplets larger than 0.5 mm diameter falling from a cloud.

RAINBOW
A rainbow is formed when sunlight is broken up into a spectrum of colours by raindrops or droplets of water of other kinds (spray over waterfalls, for example, or the droplets produced by hose-pipes and car washes). The sun must be behind you to see a rainbow.

RAIN GAUGE
A rain gauge catches rain and funnels it into a cylinder which shows the amount of rain that has fallen. Rainfall is usually measured in millimetres.

RELATIVE HUMIDITY
Air can hold more water vapour when it is warm than when it is cold. Relative humidity (RH) is the amount of water vapour in the air as a percentage of the maximum it can hold at the same temperature.

RIDGE
An elongated area of high pressure extending from an anticyclone (see the weather chart on page 10).

RIME
Ice crystals which form on bushes, trees and the ground when fog occurs at low temperatures. Seldom seen in lowland Britain.

S
SATELLITE
Man-made satellites orbit the earth and transmit images of the clouds below. They can sense heat (infra-red) and thus see clouds, even at night.

SATURATION
Air is said to be saturated when it cannot hold any more water vapour.

SEA BREEZE
A cool breeze felt at the coast. The breeze comes off the sea, usually on sunny days. On clear nights, a LAND BREEZE can occur in the opposite direction.

SHOWER
Usually a short and often heavy burst of rain from cumulonimbus clouds.

SI
The international system of units of measurement (from the French Systme International).

SLEET
Snow which is partly melted.

SMOG
Fog mixed with pollution, which can be very unhealthy. Smogs in cities are usually due to pollution from motor vehicles.

SQUALL
A wind which strengthens quickly and lasts for a few minutes or so. Longer than a gust. Some squalls become violent. Many squalls are accompanied by precipitation and/or lightning.

STABLE AIR
Air which is cold (dense) low down and warm (less dense) higher up. It resists being moved around.

STEVENSON SCREEN
A box which has slatted sides and is painted white. Thermometers are kept in it. The box prevents the sun shining on the thermometers, yet allows the air to pass over them.

STRATOCUMULUS
A layer of cloud with a low base, broken up into rolls or bubbles.

STRATOSPHERE
The region of the atmosphere between about 10 km and 50 km above the ground.

STRATUS
A type of cloud which is very flat, featureless and uninteresting. Sometimes the cloud base can be low enough to shroud hills and mountains.

T
TENDENCY
The change in air pressure that has occurred over the past three hours.

THERMALS
Rising currents of air due to convection. Gliders and some birds use them to gain height. Cumulus clouds are often formed at the tops of thermals.

THERMOMETER
Instrument for measuring temperature. The Celsius scale (C) is now used.

THAW
The change from snow or ice to water as the temperature rises (when, for example, the sun shines on it).

TORNADO
A violent spiral of wind, about 100 m in diameter, which moves over land, causing much damage. A tornado at sea is called a waterspout.

TROPICS
The region between the Tropics of Cancer (23.5N) and Capricorn (23.5S).

TROUGH
An elongated area of low pressure extending from a Low (see the weather chart on page 10). Not as intense as a depression but the weather it brings is similar to that which occurs in a depression, i.e. cloud, precipitation and fresh to strong winds.

TYPHOON
The name which is used for hurricanes that occur over the western North Pacific.

U
UNSTABLE AIR
Air is unstable when less-dense warm air is underneath more-dense cold air. The warm air rises in the form of convection currents (thermals) and often produces cumulus clouds.

V
VEERING
The wind veers when its direction changes clockwise. So, if the wind changes from a southerly through a south-westerly to a westerly, it has veered.

VISIBILITY
The distance at which objects can just be made out. Visibility is reduced by fog, mist or haze.

W
WATER VAPOUR
Water in the form of an invisible gas, present in the atmosphere at all times.

WIND CHILL
The effect of wind making it feel colder than it actually is. If the air temperature is actually 0C (i.e. freezing point), then a wind of 15 kt makes it feel as though the temperature is about minus 12C.

WIND SPEED
The speed at which air is moving. It can be measured in miles per hour, kilometres per hour, knots (nautical miles per hour) or metres per second. NB 1 metre per second = 2 knots = 2.3 mph = 3.6 kph.

WIND VANE
A wind vane is mounted on a high building or post and shows the wind direction. This is the direction from which the wind is coming. Thus, a north wind comes from the north. On airfields, WIND SOCKS, indicate wind direction.

THE BEAUFORT SCALE OF WIND FORCE

FORC E 0 1 2 3 4 WIND NAME Calm Light air Light breeze Gentle breeze Moderate breeze Fresh breeze Strong breeze Near gale Gale Strong gale SPEED (kph) SPEED (knots) DESCRIPTION Smoke rises vertically. Leaves motionless. Direction of wind shown by smoke but not by wind vanes. Wind felt on face. Leaves rustle. Ordinary wind vanes moved by wind. Leaves and twigs in constant motion. Wind extends light flag. Wind raises dust and loose paper. Small branches are moved. Small trees in leaf begin to sway. Crested wavelets form on inland waters. Large branches in motion. Whistling heard in telegraph wires. Umbrellas difficult to use. Whole trees in motion. Inconvenience felt when walking against the wind. Twigs broken off trees. Progress impeded. Slight structural damage occurs (chimney pots and slates removed). Seldom experienced inland. Trees uprooted. Considerable structural damage. Widespread damage. Very rarely experienced.

Below 1 Below 1 1-5 6-11 12-19 20-28 1-3 4-6 7-10 11-16

29-38

17-21

38-49

22-27

7 8 9

50-61 62-74 75-88

28-33 34-40 41-47

10

Storm Violent storm Hurricane

89-102 103117 Over 118

48-55

11 12

56-63

Over 63 Devastation.

1 knot = 0.514 metres per second = 1.152 statute miles per hour = 1.853 kilometres per hour

WEATHER CHART
ILLUSTRATING SOME OF THE TERMS USED IN THE GLOSSARY

LOW

T R O U G H

Warm air RIDGE

LOW

Cold air

Warm air

HIGH

KEY

__________
Isobar (line of equal pressure) Wind direction

Warm front Cold front

Occluded front

10