Come Rain or Shine: Understanding the Weather

Online Course

University of Reading

Future Learn

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Come Rain or Shine: Understanding the Weather

What is the course about?
Prerequisites & Facts
Cost, Certificate & Degree
Reviews & Experiences

What is the course about?

Come Rain or Shine: Understanding the Weather

The course Come Rain or Shine: Understanding the Weather is an online class provided by University of Reading through Future Learn. It may be possible to receive a verified certification or use the course to prepare for a degree.

Understand and explore the physical processes behind the weather

Course description

3 weeks

Weather affects our lives almost every day through what we wear, what we eat and what we do. But why is it rainy, windy or sometimes even sunny? Explore some of the physical processes driving UK weather systems and get hands on in the world of weather with practical activities and fieldwork. Try your hand at forecasting and have a go at interpreting weather maps and compare your results to our educator Dr Sylvia Knight’s. You’ll also watch our educators carrying out simple but effective experiments including creating clouds or simulating hot air rising and demonstrating the Coriolis effect.

Introduction to high and low pressure systems
Weather and climate differences
Depressions and anticyclones
Where does weather come from and why does it rain?
Air masses and types of rain
Measuring the weather
Global controls on weather
Global atmospheric circulation
Other weather systems: Monsoons, Tropical cyclones and El Niño/La Niña.

Describe the weather features associated with depressions, anticyclones and the four main air masses which affect the UK
Interpret a synoptic or weather chart to provide details about wind speed and direction, precipitation and cloud cover
Describe some of the physical processes which give rise to weather, such as convection, condensation, pressure gradients and the Coriolis force
Investigate local weather conditions using readily available instruments
Explain some of the processes which transfer energy through the Earth system, including the transient effects of volcanoes and changes in the Earth’s orbit, and how these processes relate to the Earth’s climate
Apply an understanding of mid-latitude weather systems to the analysis of weather data and images

You don’t need any existing knowledge of meteorology, just an interest in learning about the weather. This might appeal to you if you’re a member of theWeather Club or signed up to Weather Watchers. There should be something for everyone – whether you are coming to the course with a fair amount of previous knowledge, or none at all. If this is the first time you’ve taken a meteorology course you may find some of the content challenging, but don’t worry there will be plenty of help available.
It also might appeal to you if you’re a geography teacher. For example, the amount of time devoted to weather within the English National Curriculum and GCSE and A level specifications has hugely increased; this course will help improve your confidence to teach the topics and may also be directly relevant to your students, some of whom may consider a career in meteorology.
Course image used with permission of NEODAAS/University of Dundee.

University of Reading
The University of Reading has a reputation for excellence in teaching, research and enterprise.
The Royal Meteorological Society
The Royal Meteorological Society is the professional and learned society for weather and climate.

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Prerequisites & Facts

Come Rain or Shine: Understanding the Weather

Course Topic

Earth Science, Nature & Environment, Science, Engineering & Maths

University, College, Institution

University of Reading

Course Skill Level

see course summary

Course Language

English

Place of class

Online, self-paced (see curriculum for more information)

Degree

Certificate

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Degree & Cost

Come Rain or Shine: Understanding the Weather

To obtain a verified certificate from Future Learn / University of Reading you have to finish this course or the latest version of it, if there is a new edition. The class may be free of charge, but there could be some cost to receive a verified certificate or to access the learning materials. The specifics of the course may have been changed, please consult the provider to get the latest quotes and news.

University of Reading

Come Rain or Shine: Understanding the Weather

provided by Future Learn

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