1. DISTANCE FROM 2.

DISTANCE FROM
THE EQUATOR THE SEA
(LATITUDE) 3. HEIGHT ABOVE
➡ Places far from the sea (inland) have more

➡ The further away from the equator the colder it

extreme weather
➡ Solar radiation heats land to a higher
SEA LEVEL
is temperature than it heats water (ALTITUDE)

FACTORS THAT
➡ The higher a place is the colder it is
➡ The average drop in temperature is 6.5°

INFLUENCE
per 1000m
➡ The closer to the surface the more air
molecules are present and more heat is

TEMPERATURE & absorbed

RAINFALL
➡ Area B receives 12 hours of solar radiation
during the year but area A has much less solar
radiation
4. OCEAN CURRENTS 5. MOUNTAINS RELIEF
➡ Causes of ocean currents = wind, difference in water ➡ The shape of the mountain causes some areas to revive
temperature & the rotation of earth more sunlight than others
➡ Red arrows = warm current ➡ Mountains can create rain by forcing air to rise quickly
➡ Blue arrows = cold current ➡ Leeward = sheltered from the wind
➡ The rotation of earth causes water to move to the right ➡ Windward = facing the wind
➡ Areas next to cool currents = cool dry climates
➡ Areas next to warm currents = warm wet climates
 2. DISTANCE FROM
THE SEA 3. HEIGHT ABOVE
1. DISTANCE FROM THE SEA LEVEL
EQUATOR (LATITUDE) ➡ Places far from the sea (inland) have more (ALTITUDE)
extreme weather

➡ In summer, winds from the North bring rain to ➡ Kimberly has extreme summer temps ( up
to 40°) and very low temps winter ➡ Sutherland in the Norther Cape - is
SA
SA’s coldest place
➡ In winter, the winds move North, leaving ➡ Inland places have larger temperature
ranges ‣ The altitude is 1460m
Northern parts of the country without rain
(except for the Western Cape which receives ➡ Altitude has the biggest influence on
rain in the winter) temperature in Gauteng

SOUTH AFRICA’S
5. MOUNTAINS RELIEF
CLIMATE
➡ The Drakensburg mountains cause rain in the
eastern part of the country (this is why the
4. OCEAN CURRENTS
western part of SA is much drier)
➡ Rain shadow - areas that receive low rainfall ➡ The Agulhas Current brings warm water from
because they are sheltered by mountains the equator to the East Coast of SA
➡ Durban's’ high temperatures & rainfall are
explained by the warm moist air from the
current
➡ The Benguela Current brings cold water from
the southern ocean to the West Coast of SA
‣ When air is cooled it releases moisture
as rain
‣ Cooling of the air also causes fog
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ELEMENTS OF WEATHER
WEATHER & CLIMATE
1. Temperature

➡ Climate = usually/general conditions in the atmosphere

2. Humidity
(i.e. a desert) 3. Wind
➡ Weather = day-to-day conditions & over a short period of
time (e.g. a thunderstorm) 4. Precipitation