Meteorology Temperature – is the degree of hotness or
coldness on a definite scale of air around us.
Meteorology is the science dealing with
the atmosphere and its phenomena, including both
weather and climate.
Weather
Weather is the condition of the atmosphere
at a particular place over a short period of time. It
can chance from hour to hour and from one day to
another.
Climate
Climate refers to the average weather
pattern of place over a long period of time (such
as months and years).
Weather Components and the
Weather instruments
WIND – is the movement of air parallel to
Earth’s surface.
A wind vane is a device that tells the
direction of the wind. (Four directions: North,
East, West, and South).
An anemometer measures wind speed. The
cups catch the wind, turning a dial attached to the
instrument. The dial shows the wind speed. The
speed of the wind may be fast or slow. Sometimes
it blows gently but at other times it blows fast.
HUMIDITY – is the amount of moisture in the
air.
Hygrometer uses a pair of thermometer
where one bulb is open to the air and the other has
a bulb covered in a wet cloth. This cause
evaporation on the wet bulb and loss of heat thus a
drop in temperature reading. The relative humidity
can then be derived from the temperature different
between the two thermometers.
Places near the equator have high
temperature because they receive direct rays of the
sun.
The time of the day and time of the year
also affect the air temperature.
A thermometer is used to measure air
temperature. A room thermometer may bear the
Fahrenheit, the Celsius scale, or both. Air
temperature is typically read in degrees Celsius or
°C while the Fahrenheit scale is mainly used in the
United States.
o Liquid–in–glass
(traditional thermometer) A
thermometer has a glass tube sealed
at both ends and is partly filled with a
liquid like mercury or alcohol. As the
environment becomes hotter, the
liquid inside the thermometer
expands causing a rise of the liquid
level in the glass tube.
o An infrared thermometer
(non-contact thermometer) is a
thermometer which measures
temperature from a specific surface
portion of the object at a safe
distance. The thermometer will
compare the heat emitted by the
object with its surroundings.
Pressure – is the weight of force that is
produced when something presses or pushes
against something else.
A barometer is a scientific
instrument that is used to measure air pressure in a
certain environment. The level of liquid inside it
will indicate subtle pressure changes caused by
weather elements.
A rapid drop in atmospheric
pressure means that a low-pressure system is
arriving. Low pressure means that there is not
enough force or pressure, to push clouds or storms
away. Low-pressure systems are associated with
cloudy, rainy, or windy weather. A rapid increase
in atmospheric pressure pushes that cloudy and
rainy weather out, clearing the skies and bringing
in cool, dry air.
Precipitation – is the water that falls into the
ground as rain, snow etc.
Rain Gauge it measures the
amount of rain that has fallen over a very specific
time period.
Cloud – formation is a visible mass of particles
of condensed vapour suspended in the atmosphere
of a planet.
Kind of Clouds
1. Cirrus Clouds – they are like whit and
thin feathers. They appear high up in the sky.
2. Stratus Clouds – they are flat layers of
clouds. They appear grayish or bluish because
they are low and thick enough to hide the sun.
They often turn to drizzle or light rain.
3. Cumulus Clouds – they appear in fine
and sunny weather. They appear like cotton.
4. Nimbus Clouds – they are called rain
clouds. They appear in big heaps of heavy clouds
they bring heavy rains and thunderstorms. They
make the sky dark and look heavy.
Weather Disturbances
A temperature difference between the air
And the surface creates a swirling mass of winds
known as a weather disturbance. A weather
disturbance is a term used to describe a change in
atmospheric conditions or weather patterns.
Weather disturbances are common in the
Philippines due to its nearness to the equator that
causes wind convergence.
Because we are surrounded by
bodies of water, we are prone to weather
disturbances. Our nearness to the Pacific Ocean,
which lies on the eastern side of our country, is
the most significant contributor to weather
disturbances in our country. With that, our country
is mostly visited by tropical cyclones.
Weather Disturbances
A tropical cyclone is a weather disturbance
characterized by a big mass of wind and rain
whirling around a center of low pressure called the
‘eye’.
Tropical cyclones have different names
around the world depending on where they are.
In the Atlantic/Eastern Pacific
Oceans, they are known as hurricanes, while in the
Western Pacific, they are called typhoons. In the
Indian Ocean, they are recognized as cyclones.
Tropical cyclones form when warm air
moves over the surface of the ocean, creating a
massive amount of water vapour. As it rises, the
water vapour is cooled. Clouds are formed when
water vapour condenses. Heat is released into the
atmosphere as it does. This heat warms the
atmosphere, causing the air to become lighter and
continue to rise into the atmosphere. As the
warmed air rises, it is replaced by moist air rising
from below. The subsequent heat releases
generates strong winds, which fuel the storm.
Tropical cyclones weaken as they land, not
because of a mountain or a building blocks them,
but because the loss of their source of heat, which
is warm air from the ocean, reduces their wind
speed. Weather disturbances are also known as
natural disasters because they can cause havoc on
roads, power lines, and buildings.
 Seasons in the Philippines
Weather and climate are different from
season.
Seasons such as summer, autumn, winter,
and spring occur in some parts of the Earth.
In the Philippines, we only have two
seasons:
Wet season (rainy season): June to
November.
Dry season: December to May
A s t h
some areas of the planet experience various
changes. These may include changes in
temperature, length of day and night, and amount
of precipitation (such as rain and snow).
When the North Pole tilts towards the sun,
it is summer season in most parts of the Northern
Hemisphere. During this time, the Northern
Hemisphere receives the most direct sunlight and
experience little to no precipitation (rain or snow)
at all. Daytime is longer than night time.
When the North Pole tilts away from the
sun, it is winter season is most parts of the
Northern Hemisphere. During this time, the
Northern Hemisphere receives less direct sunlight
and experiences frequent precipitation (rain or
snow). Night time is longer than day time.
The seasons in the Northern Hemisphere
are the opposite of those in the Southern
Hemisphere.
The Earth’s axis is titled 23.5 degrees.
The earth’s titled axis and revolution
around the sun are the causes of the season
experienced by people in certain parts of the
planet.
The Philippines has two seasons only. This
is due to the fact that the Earth’s titled axis does
e not Eaffect the
a amount
r of direct
t sunlight
h it receivesr e
from the sun.
The seasons in the country are caused by:
1. Its location on the equator
Since the Philippines is located just right
above the equator, it receives direct heat from the
sun throughout the year. This is the reason why
we experience relatively high temperature, high
humidity and abundant rainfall year-round. The
sun’s heat also speeds up the evaporation process
in surrounding water bodies. This results to
infrequent to frequent rainfall all throughout the
country.
2. Prevailing Winds
The Southwest Monsoon (or Hanging
Habagat) and Northeast Monsoon (Hanging
Amihan ) also contribute to the seasons in the
Philippines. These prevailing winds blow
consistently in specific direction and period over
particular areas in the country.
The wet or rainy season takes
place from June to November. Since the
Southwest Monsoon brings warm and
moist air, rains become heavier, and
typhoons get stronger during the wet
season. Hanging Habagat blows from the
southwest portion of the country and
 causes rains in the western portion of the
country.
The dry season takes place during
the months of December to May. This is
characterized by less and infrequent
rainfall as well as dusty soil. The dry
season is influenced by the Northeast
Monsoon that brings cool and dry air.
Hanging Amihan blows from the northeast
portion of the country and causes slight to
moderate rainfall in the eastern portion of
the country.

Northeast Monsoon
Southwest Monsoon