Meaning, Causes and Effects of Climate

In this post, we shall focus on the concept of climate, its causes and effects. At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

• explain climate;
• identify the effects of climate; and
• highlight the factors that influence climate.

Meaning of Climate

Climate is the long-term manifestations of weather and other atmospheric conditions in a given geographical area. 

It is the weather conditions of a given geographical location averaged over a long period of time.

Climate changes over a period of time. It is usually signalled by an increase in the average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere.

Effects of Climate

Climate affects man in the following ways:

1. Dressing: The state of climate affects the kind of clothes we wear. A person in the hot Sahara desert will definitely not be dressed the same way as someone in cold Europe.
2. Health
3. Building types
4. Transportation
5. Agricultural practices
6. Occupation
7. Cultural activities (e.g. Winter sport, Summer sports, fishing festivals, etc.)

Factors that Influence Climate

So many factors can influence climate. The following are some of the factors that can influence the climate of a particular location:

1. Slope
2. Altitude
3. Latitude
4. Ocean currents
5. Prevailing winds
6. Cloud cover
7. Shelter
8. Vegetation
9. Peculiarities or characteristics of the continent.