Why is the temperature different in different places?

Different places in the world have very different temperatures. Antarctica is the coldest place on earth and can get as cold as -89C! Death Valley in the United States is one the hottest places on Earth with temperatures as high as 54°C.

So why is the temperature so different in different places?

There is an imaginary circle called the equator that divides the Earth into two parts.

The Sun is our heat source here on Earth. The more sunlight a place gets, the hotter it will usually be. The amount of sunlight we get depends on how far we are from the equator.

Places on or near the equator, like the Sahara Desert, are very hot.

When we measure the distance between a place and the equator, we call itlatitude.

When you are at a higher latitude, like the North and South Pole, you are further away from the equator. That means that the sunlight is spread over a wider area on the ground and also has to pass through more of our atmosphere, so the sunlight is not as strong. So places far from the equator are much cooler.

But latitude isn't the only thing that affects temperature.

Glasgow and Moscow, the capital of Russia, are both at the same latitude. So although they are some 1600 miles apart, they are both the same distance away from the equator.

In Glasgow, during winter, the average temperature is around 3 degrees celsius.

But in Moscow, during winter, the average temperatureis much lower - minus 10 degrees celsius.

So, what makes these temperatures so different? Well, Glasgow is milder in winter because it’s nearer the sea than Moscow.

It’s only 14 miles from Glasgow to the sea, but it’s almost four hundred miles from Moscow to the nearest sea.

Land heats up and cools down much quicker than water does. Places near the sea stay warmer in winter because they are close to warmer water. On the other hand, Moscow is warmer than Glasgow in summer.

Another thing that can affect temperature in different places is he height above sea level.

Sea level is used to describe what the height of the ocean usually is. The higher you go above sea level, the lower the air pressure gets. And when the air pressure gets lower, the air has less energy and the temperature gets lower.

That’s why mountain peaks, which are high above sea level, are often cold and covered in snow.

What might affect the temperature where you live?

KAWSER: Aw, it's freezing today and you can see that from the map by the blue colours and temperatures close to freezing. So wrap up if you're heading outside. But why is it so important how hot or cold the weather is? And how do you measure temperature?

Lots of people rely on accurate temperature forecasts when doing their jobs. Farmers need to plan when to plant and harvest their crops and transport authorities need to know when they have to grit the roads or when trains can't run because the rails are too hot.And if you're planning on spending the day outside. Make sure you check the weather forecast first. Just so you know what clothes you should wear.

So how exactly are temperatures measured and recorded?

PUPIL: What's this box thing called?

EXPERT: What do you think it's called?

PUPIL: Is it a weather box?

EXPERT: Well, it's actually called a Stevenson screen and inside it has all the instruments to monitor the weather.

KAWSER: Meteorologists use a Stevenson screen to protect the instruments from the weather. Direct sunlight would heat the equipment and rain, sleet or snow would cool it down this would affect the temperature readings.

PUPIL: Which one is the thermometer?

EXPERT: We use this one to measure air temperature.

PUPIL: How does it work?

EXPERT: Well, if you look at the thermometer, there's liquid inside. This liquid is alcohol. As the temperature gets warmer, the alcohol expands and pushes the marker along. When it gets colder, the marker moves back as the alcohol goes down. If you look along the length of the thermometer, there's lots of numbers to help us to measure what the temperature has been.

KAWSER: Temperature is measured in degrees Celsius. Zero degrees Celsius is the point at which water freezes. When it's hot, the number of degrees Celsius shown on the thermometer gets higher and if it's very cold, the temperature can drop below zero and into negative numbers.

There are different kinds of thermometers. They can be glass or plastic and some even have digital displays. Why not use a thermometer to check the temperature in different places inside and outside of your house or school?

Just remember that it's best to record the temperature away from direct sunlight or if you were checking the temperature inside, remember heaters and radiators may affect your results.

Temperatures taken all over the country are used by meteorologists when making weather forecasts. What's the weather like where you are? And what's the temperature?