Weather versus climate
Weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere at a place, while climate is the average weather of an area recorded over a long period, usually 30 years or more. Malaysia lies near the equator, so it has a hot, wet equatorial climate with high temperatures and heavy rainfall all year.
Key idea
Weather = short-term and changeable. Climate = long-term average. The main elements are temperature, rainfall, humidity, wind, air pressure, cloud and sunshine.
Elements of weather
- Temperature – measured with a thermometer (°C).
- Rainfall – measured with a rain gauge (mm).
- Humidity – the amount of water vapour in the air.
- Wind – its speed (anemometer) and direction (wind vane).
- Air pressure – measured with a barometer.
Example
During the Northeast Monsoon (about November to March), moist winds bring heavy rain and floods to the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
Weather and climate phenomena
Malaysia's weather is strongly shaped by the monsoon winds: the wet Northeast Monsoon and the drier Southwest Monsoon (about May to September). Other phenomena include daily convectional thunderstorms in the afternoon, caused by strong heating and rising moist air, and the occasional El Nino, which can bring drier, hotter spells, and La Nina, which brings wetter conditions. Haze from open burning can also lower visibility and air quality.
Remember
- Weather changes daily; climate is a long-term average.
- Malaysia = hot, wet equatorial climate near the equator.
- Northeast Monsoon = wet season for the east coast.
- El Nino brings drier spells; La Nina brings wetter ones.