Explaining the Jet Stream

A useful Met Office video. 

Is the UK hot right now?

Thanks to Ed Hawkins for the link to this website via LinkedIn.

He explains all about the website here in this blog post. 

Every hour a global set of automatic weather stations openly report temperature and other weather measurements - these are called ‘synops’. For the UK, you can now see the latest temperature observations in the context of the past few decades.

What is 'normal’? For this website we use the temperature observed at the same time of day and time of year, averaged over the 1991-2020 period, as ‘normal’. We would love to use a time period that was longer ago, but the hourly observations required were not taken in enough places. Nevertheless, this tool allows anyone to see how hot (or cold) it currently is near where they live, relative to recent experience.

Is the UK hotter than normal at the moment?

Site built by Dan Harris, supported by Co-Centre for Climate + Biodiversity + Water.

New from EncounterEdu

 

EncounterEdu (formerly Digital Explorer) have produced some excellent resources over the years - I know because I wrote some of them back in the day. One of them even won a GA Award.

They have now launched a new free resource.

The resources have been created in collaboration with the team behind the Convex Seascape Survey.

This comprehensive unit aligns with the KS3 geography programme and introduces important aspects of the ocean and science. Topics include the carbon cycle, causes, evidence, and impacts of climate change, ocean biodiversity and its protection, alongside intersections of human and physical geography through mapping, ecosystem services, and coastal livelihoods.

With the ocean covering 70% of the Earth's surface, absorbing over 90% of excess heat from global warming, and the source of livelihoods and food for billions, this unit provides students with an engaging journey into one of the most important issues of the 21st Century.

Here are the 9 units that are included in the unit.

RMetS Heatwaves Scheme

The Royal Meteorological Society has been working with the Young People's Trust for the Environment on a new 4 lesson scheme of work about Heatwaves. This is timely given the first amber alert which has been announced for the southern half of the UK this coming weekend and into next week.

Heatwaves are now being graded on a four point scale. This is part of the Heat Health Alert Service.

Details are here.

All of the materials are available to download from the RMetS website

This package of lesson plans consists of 4 lessons:

Lesson 1: What are heatwaves?
Lesson 2: Why are heatwaves dangerous?
Lesson 3: How can schools prepare for a heatwave?
Lesson 4: What is your school like during a heatwave and how could it be improved?

By the end, students should be able to show which places in the school are most affected by extreme heat, understand what measures could be put in place to reduce the impact of extreme heat and be able to present their learning and research.

The lessons have been designed to support learners in Key Stage 2 (or equivalent) with understanding more about heatwaves, the reasons why we are likely to face more of them in the future and some steps that schools can take to protect young people during these events. 

The lessons can be adapted to suit other age groups by modifying the information given in the linked notes.

New Weather and Climate Resource from RMetS

A huge effort has gone into the creation of a 20 session scheme of work, with lesson plans and resources and a teacher guide, which are the work of the Royal Meteorological Society, particularly Dr Sylvia Knight. 

This has now been made available online, and a printed copy of the guide will also be sent to all GA and SAGT members.

The 20 unit explore weather and climate, and are certainly worth considering slotting into any curriculum updates being planned for the next academic year - as many colleagues will be considering.

It's part of the relaunch of Metlink.

This is well worth checking out.

Also keep an eye out for the Metmark award that schools can apply for.

Feeling hot...

London can be upto 9 C hotter than the surrounding countryside during a #heatwaveuk 🌡

During the 2003 #heatwave over 70,000 elderly people ⚰ died in Europe due to excessive night time temperatures 🌡

July 2019 could break UK hottest temperature records #ClimateChange pic.twitter.com/71dlBUz05I

— Mark Maslin (@ProfMarkMaslin) July 25, 2019

More to come on this in the new Michaelmas term, with a brand new unit to get us started in Year 7 and 8.