Weather – changes in the atmospheric condition
over a brief period of time such as a day or a week.
Climate – the overall atmospheric condition of a
place for a period of 30 years or more.
Factors Affecting Climate
• Latitude
Temperature range increases with distance
from the equator. Also, temperatures
decrease as you move away from the
equator because the sun’s rays are
dispersed over a larger land area as you
move away from the equator due to the
Earth’s curved surface.
• Altitude
Temperature decreases with increasing
altitude at an average rate of 6.5°C for
every 1000m increase in altitude. This is
because air at higher altitudes is thinner
with fewer molecules, which makes it very
difficult for heat to be transferred between
the molecules as they are further apart.
The higher the place is above sea level the
colder it will be. This happens because as
altitude increases, the air becomes thinner
and is less able to absorb and retain heat.
• Distance from Bodies of Water
Diurnal Wind Change in Coastal Area
Land heats and cools faster than the sea.
Therefore, coastal areas have a lower
temperature range than those areas inland.
On the coast, winters are mild, and
summers are cool. In inland areas,
temperatures are high in the summer and
cold in the winter.
• Ocean Currents
Ocean currents are the continuous and
directional movement of the ocean created
by wind friction, water density, earth’s
rotation, solar energy, and gravity variation
in different parts of the ocean.
The direction of water movement is either
horizontal or vertical. The ocean current
systems flow clockwise in the northern
hemisphere and counterclockwise in the
southern hemisphere in circular patterns.
The ocean currents transport warm water
and precipitation from the equator to the
poles and cold water from the poles back to
the equator. These regulate the global
climate and uneven distribution of heat
reaching the earth’s surface.
• Topography
The difference in elevation and mountain
ranges determine the distribution of
precipitation on Earth. The bodies of water
shape the climates and create the high-
and low-pressure systems that cause
weather events.
The mountainous areas tend to have
extreme weather because it acts as a
barrier to air movements and moisture.
Rain Shadow Effect
The windward side of the mountain faces
the wind and receives warm, and moist air.
As the wind hits the mountain, the air is
forced to move upward along the slope of
the mountain and begins to cool due to a
decrease in atmospheric pressure. The
cooling of air results in the formation of
clouds and precipitation. Because of this,
the windward side of the mountain is cooler
and rich in vegetation.
The leeward side of the mountain is the
opposite side of the windward. The air that
goes down the leeward slope has lost its
moisture on the windward side resulting in
warm air and low relative humidity. As the
dry air descends the leeward slope, it
expands and reduces the possibility of
precipitation forming a rain shadow effect.
 This side of the mountain is the driest
place.
• Prevailing Winds
Global air currents cause global winds,
which are the prevailing, or usual, winds at
a given latitude. The winds move air
masses, which causes weather.
The direction of prevailing winds
determines which type of air mass usually
moves over an area. If winds have been
blown from a hot area, they will raise
temperatures. If winds have originated from
cold regions, they will lower temperatures.
The rising air at the equator does not flow
directly to the poles because the Earth
rotates on its axis causing an air build-up at
30˚ north or south latitudes. This rotation
creates three belts of high-pressure
circulations cells;
Hadley cell – the air moving toward the
equator. It is responsible for the dry climate
at 30˚ latitudes or the tropical and
subtropical regions and drives the
circulation of air north and south of the
equator.
Ferrel cell – created when the air between
30˚ and 60˚ latitudes meets the cold air
from the poles. These winds are called
westerlies that characterize weather
patterns in temperate zones.
Polar cell – formed between 60˚ and 90˚
latitude. The air cools over the poles and
sinks to the Earth’s surface. These surface
winds in the polar cell are called easterlies.
The area where these three circulation
cells come together is called the
intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ).
What is Climate Change?
Climate Change refers to long-term shifts in
temperatures and weather patterns in a region
over a long period of time.
These shifts may be natural, such as through
variations in the solar cycle. But since the 1800s,
human activities have been the main driver of
climate change, primarily due to burning fossil
fuels like coal, oil, and gas.
The Greenhouse Effect
The process occurs when gases in Earth's
atmosphere trap the Sun's heat. This process
makes Earth much warmer than it would be without
an atmosphere. The greenhouse effect is one of
the things that makes Earth a comfortable place to
live.
How does the Greenhouse Effect work?
Solar energy absorbed at Earth’s surface is
radiated back into the atmosphere as heat. As the
heat makes its way through the atmosphere and
back out to space, greenhouse gases absorb
much of it. Greenhouse gases are more complex
than other gas molecules in the atmosphere, with
a structure that can absorb heat. They radiate the
heat back to the Earth's surface, to another
greenhouse gas molecule, or out to space.
The Greenhouse Gases
• Carbon dioxide (CO2)
• Nitrous oxide (NO2)
• Methane (CH3)
• Water Vapor (H2O(g))
• Fluorinated Gases
o Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
o Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
o Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
o Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3)
o Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
Global Warming
The long-term heating of the Earth’s surface
observed since the pre-industrial period (between
1850 and 1900) due to human activities, primarily
fossil fuel burning, which increases heat-trapping
greenhouse gas levels in Earth’s atmosphere.
Since the pre-industrial period, human activities
are estimated to have increased Earth’s global
average temperature by about 1 degree Celsius
(1.8 degrees Fahrenheit), a number that is
currently increasing by more than 0.2 degrees
Celsius (0.36 degrees Fahrenheit) per decade.
Climate Change
Climate change is a long-term change in the
average weather patterns that have come to define
Earth’s local, regional, and global climates. These
changes have a broad range of observed effects
that are synonymous with the term.
Changes observed in Earth’s climate since the
mid-20th century are driven by human activities,
particularly fossil fuel burning, which increases
heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth’s
atmosphere, raising Earth’s average surface
temperature. Natural processes, which have been
overwhelmed by human activities, can also
contribute to climate change and external forcing.
Effects of El Niño on the Philippine Climate
• Delayed onset of the rainy season
• Extended dry season
• Weak monsoon activity
• Fewer tropical cyclones
• Below normal rainfall
• Above normal air temperatures
La Niña – the cool phase of ENSO that lasts for
1-3 years and occurs every 3-4 years.

Climate data records provide evidence of climate

change key indicators, such as global land and
ocean temperature increases; rising sea levels; ice
loss at Earth’s poles and in mountain glaciers;
frequency and severity changes in extreme
weather such as hurricanes, heatwaves, wildfires,
droughts, floods, and precipitation; and cloud and
vegetation cover changes.
El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
A naturally occurring phenomenon of the climate
system resulting from the interaction between the
ocean and the atmosphere in the central and
eastern equatorial Pacific.
El Niño – the warm phase of ENSO that lasts for
8-12 months and occurs every 2-7 years. Its
strongest occurrence occurs every 10-15 years.
There will be colder temperatures of -0.5°C or
lower than average. Winds from the east become
stronger. Warm water is pushed towards the
western Pacific. More clouds from over the
Philippines. More clouds form over the country.
Therefore, the country receives more rain.
Effects of La Niña on the Philippine Climate
• Early rainy season
• Short dry season
• Strong monsoon activity
• More tropical cyclones
• Above normal rainfall

There will be warmer temperatures of +0.5°C or

higher than average. Winds from the east become
weak and unable to push warm water toward the
western Pacific. Warm water scatters over the
central Pacific. Fewer clouds form away over the
country. Therefore, there will be less rain in the
country.