climate
noun OPAL W
/ˈklaɪmət/
/ˈklaɪmət/
- [countable, uncountable] the regular pattern of weather conditions of a particular place
- a tropical/warm/mild/temperate/cold climate
- the harsh climate of the Arctic regions
Wordfinder- climate
- earth
- equator
- equinox
- hemisphere
- International Date Line
- latitude
- map
- planet
- tropic
Wordfinder- arid
- climate
- continental climate
- equatorial
- frigid
- harsh
- humidity
- rainfall
- tropical
- zone
Culture weatherweatherThe popular view of the British weather is that it rains all the time. This is not true and Britain gets no more rain in an average year than several other European countries. In some summers the country goes for weeks with nothing more than a shower (= short period of rain). Perhaps the main characteristic of Britain's weather is that it is hard to predict. This is probably why people regularly listen to weather forecasts on radio and television. However, the weather forecasters are sometimes wrong.The British are not used to extremes. In summer the temperature rarely goes higher than 30°C (86° F). Heatwaves (= periods of very hot weather) are rare events. In winter the south and west are fairly mild. The east and north get much colder, with hard frosts and snow. A cold snap (= period of very cold weather) or heavy falls of snow can cause all forms of transport to stop.Samuel Johnson observed that ‘when two Englishmen meet their first talk is of the weather’, and this is still true. The weather is a safe, polite topic of conversation. Most British people would agree that bright weather with some sun, not too hot and with enough rain to water their gardens, is good. Bad weather usually means days with a lot of cloud and rain or, in winter, fog or snow. The British tend to expect the worst as far as the weather is concerned and it is part of national folklore (= traditional belief) that summer bank holidays will be wet. It may be pouring with rain, teeming down, bucketing, or even just drizzling or spitting, but it will be wet.The US is large enough to have several different climates, and so the weather varies between regions. The average lowest temperature in Grand Forks, North Dakota in winter is almost −20° C (−3° F); in the summer in Arizona it is often above 40° C (104° F). Arizona gets less than an inch/2.5 centimetres of rain most months; the state of Washington can get 6 inches/15 centimetres. The Northeast and Midwest have cold winters with a lot of snow, and summers that are very hot and humid (= with a lot of water in the air). The South has hot, humid summers but moderate winters. The Southwest, including Arizona and New Mexico, is dry and warm in the winter and very hot in the summer. Some parts of the US suffer tornadoes and hurricanes.In autumn people put storm doors and windows on their houses, an extra layer of glass to keep out the cold wind. Cities in the snow belt (= the north eastern and midwestern states that get a lot of snow) have several snow days each winter, days when people do not go to school or work. But then snowploughs (NAmE snowplows) clear the roads and life goes on, even when the weather is bad.Many people in Britain and the US, as elsewhere, are worried about global warming (= an increase in temperature in the earth's atmosphere) due to emissions from vehicles and factories of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) and the extent of climate change this may cause.Extra ExamplesTopics The environmenta2- The city has a warm climate.
- the severe northern climate
- Tomato flavour varies depending on climate.
- It is a region with diverse soils and climate.
- a global climate shift towards an ice age
- We are looking at how to respond to a changed climate.
- Most climate scientists believe the earth will warm several more degrees in coming decades.
- plants that are well adapted to the climate
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- hot
- warm
- cold
- …
- have
- affect
- change
- research
- study
- …
- in a/the climate
- [countable] an area with particular weather conditions
- They wanted to move to a warmer climate.
- Little grows in such a dry climate.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- hot
- warm
- cold
- …
- have
- affect
- change
- research
- study
- …
- in a/the climate
- [countable] a general attitude or feeling; an atmosphere or a situation that exists in a particular place
- the present political/economic climate
- the current climate of opinion (= what people generally are thinking about a particular issue)
- a climate of fear/suspicion/uncertainty
- There is no money for children's centres in the current climate.
- We need to create a climate in which business can prosper.
Extra Examples- They hope this will provide the right climate for social change.
- There's been a change in the climate of opinion.
- The crisis produced a climate far less favourable to redevelopment.
- Such a move seems unlikely in the current political climate.
- He admitted that the economic climate has rarely been worse.
- a set of ideas that challenge the prevailing climate of pessimism
- a climate for economic recovery
- The new policies have created a climate of fear.
- His ideas on equality are viewed as utopian in the current political climate.
- They believe Las Vegas offers an excellent business climate.
- In today's social climate, it is a very emotionally charged word.
- His remarks directly contributed to the climate of racial tension.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- favourable/favorable
- hostile
- unfavourable/unfavorable
- …
- create
- foster
- change
- …
- in a/the climate
- climate for
- climate of
- …
- a climate of opinion
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French climat or late Latin clima, climat-, from Greek klima ‘slope, zone’, from klinein ‘to slope’. The term originally denoted a zone of the earth between two lines of latitude, then any region of the earth, and later, a region considered with reference to its atmospheric conditions. Compare with clime.