RENDLESHAM WEATHER STATION | FREE LEARNING CENTRE

Volume 3: Wind and Rain

Lesson 3.1: Why the wind blows

Differences in air pressure create a pressure-gradient force. Earth’s rotation deflects

moving air through the Coriolis effect; friction modifies winds near the ground. In the

Northern Hemisphere, winds generally circulate anticlockwise around lows and

clockwise around highs.

Try it: Note the direction and gust speed on your station, then compare with a

forecast.

Quick quiz: Do winds blow directly from high to low pressure everywhere?

Answer: No; rotation and friction change their direction.

Lesson 3.2: How rain forms

When moist air rises and cools, water vapour can condense into cloud droplets.

Droplets and ice particles grow through collisions and ice-cloud processes. Once

heavy enough, they fall as precipitation. Whether it reaches the ground as rain, snow

or sleet depends on temperatures through the atmosphere.

Try it: Record rainfall totals over 24 hours and compare with the official forecast.

Quick quiz: Can a cloud exist without producing rain at the ground?

Answer: Yes.

Lesson 3.3: Coastal weather

The North Sea can influence temperatures, humidity, fog and wind in Suffolk. Sea

breezes can develop when land heats faster than water on suitable days. Easterly

winds sometimes bring cool, moist air inland, but their effects depend on season and

weather pattern.

Try it: Compare conditions near the coast with inland observations on the same day.

Quick quiz: Why can the coast feel cooler on a sunny spring afternoon?

Answer: Cooler sea air and sea-breeze effects.

Talk about it: What did you learn, and how might it help you understand the weather where you live?