Factors Affecting Climate worksheet - Free Printable

- Latitude means the distance north or south of the equator, measured in degrees.
- At the equator, the Sun's rays heat a smaller area so it is warmer. In polar areas, the Sun's rays give the same amount of heat but as the Earth is curved, they have to heat a larger area. This means that these areas will be colder.
- Altitude means the height of a place above sea level.
- Temperature falls by about 1°C for every 100 metres. This means that the higher above sea level a place is, the colder it is!
- Ocean currents are large streams of water that move through the oceans.
- The North Atlantic Drift is a warm ocean current that brings warmer water to the western coast of the UK. This raises the air temperature in this area by several degrees.