Weather and climate

G2 Elective Geography: Climate - syllabus K229, 2027

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Read climate graphs and explain temperature, rainfall and the winds that shape Singapore's weather.

• Weather, climate and climate graphs

  Weather describes conditions now. Climate describes the long-term pattern and how much it varies.

• Sunlight, latitude and seasons

  Low-angle sunlight spreads energy over a larger area. Rotation gives us day and night; tilt and revolution give us seasons.

• Local temperature differences

  Higher ground is generally cooler. Vegetation changes surface heating, while the sea reduces temperature extremes near the coast.

• Water cycle and humidity

  Air can reach saturation simply by cooling. On the ground, soil and surface cover determine where rainwater goes next.

• Convectional and relief rainfall

  Moist air rises, expands, cools and condenses in both types of rainfall. The difference is what lifts the air.

• Air pressure, wind and breezes

  Air pressure differences drive wind. A steeper pressure gradient usually means stronger wind; surface friction slows it.

• Monsoons in Singapore

  A monsoon is a seasonal change in the usual wind direction. Its rainfall depends on the wind's moisture supply and the position of the rain belt.