Climate

The definitions below refer to Adaptation to Climate Change.

Definitions

European Definitions

EU

Climate in a narrow sense is usually defined as the 'average weather', or more rigorously, as the statistical description in terms of the mean and variability of relevant quantities over a period of time ranging from months to thousands or millions of years.

These quantities are most often surface variables such as temperature, precipitation, and wind. Climate in a wider sense is the state, including a statistical description, of the climate system. The classical period of time is 30 years, as defined by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

RESIN project

The RESIN project gives the following definition:

Climate in a narrow sense is usually defined as the average weather, or more rigorously, as the statistical description in terms of the mean and variability of relevant quantities over a period of time ranging from months to thousands or millions of years. The classical period for averaging these variables is 30 years, as defined by the World Meteorological Organization.

Other International Definitions

IPCC

Climate is usually defined as the "average weather", or more rigorously, as the statistical description of the weather in terms of the mean and variability of relevant quantities over periods of several decades (typically three decades as defined by WMO).

These quantities are most often surface variables such as temperature, precipitation, and wind, but in a wider sense the "climate" is the description of the state of the climate system.

Le climat désigne généralement le “temps moyen”; il s’agit plus précisément d’une description statistique du temps en termes de moyennes et de variabilité de grandeurs pertinentes sur des périodes de plusieurs décennies (trois décennies en principe, d’après la définition de l’OMM).

Ce sont le plus souvent des variables de surface – température, précipitations et vent, par exemple – mais au sens large le “climat” est la description de l’état du système climatique.

Se suele definir el clima como el "promedio del estado del tiempo" o, más rigurosamente, como una descripción estadística del tiempo en términos de valores medios y de variabilidad de las cantidades de interés durante periodos de varios decenios (normalmente, tres decenios, según la definición de la OMM).

Dichas cantidades son casi siempre variables de superficie (por ejemplo, temperatura, precipitación o viento), aunque en un sentido más amplio el "clima" es una descripción del estado del sistema climático.

National Definitions

Germany

Climate in the strict sense is defined as the statistical “average weather” that prevails in a region for a period ranging from months to thousands of years.

The classic period of time (= normal climate period), as defined by the World meteorological organization (Wmo), is 30 years. The variables included are temperature, rainfall and wind.

Netherlands

Klimaat is het gemiddelde weer over een bepaalde periode.

The Netherlands uses a period of 30 years to average the weather.

Klimaat is het gemiddelde van de weersomstandigheden over de laatste 20 jaar.

Meteorologische componenten zijn temperatuur, neerslag, vochtigheid, zonneschijn en mist. Ook de extremen van dergelijke verschijnselen vallen onder klimaat.

United Kingdom (UK)

Climate can be described simply as the ‘average weather’, typically looked at over a period of 30 years.

Climate can include temperature, rainfall, snow cover, or any other weather characteristic.

See also

• Climate Change
• Climate Projection
• Climate Model
• Climate System