Learn About Weather

Who is the course for?

This course is for anyone looking for an introduction to the weather, as well as those with a particular interest in how weather affects photographers, gardeners and walkers. You don’t need any scientific knowledge or past experience.

What topics will you cover?

The large-scale processes that lead to our weather

Air masses and their characteristics

How to interpret a weather (synoptic) chart

Clouds and what they can indicate

Weather and climate for gardeners

Weather for photographers

Hazardous weather for walkers

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to…

Explain how heat is redistributed around the Earth, including circulation cells, and how they affect the climate

Describe the layers in the Earth’s atmosphere, including the troposphere in which most of our weather occurs

Explain atmospheric buoyancy, and how a buoyant atmosphere can result in showers

Describe the six main air masses which affect the UK including their characteristics

Explain what a front is, and understand their differences and characteristics

Interpret a weather chart (also known as a synoptic chart) to provide details about wind speed and direction, precipitation and cloud cove