How do weather and climate affect people's lives?

Weather and climate can have a major effect on people's lives, for example:

Farming - There is a direct link between the type of agriculture and climate. For example, Eastern England has a drier, warmer, sunnier climate than the west. Arable crops tend to be grown in the east, and pastoral farming dominates in the west.

Housing - In particuarly hot climates, buildings may be painted white to reflect the heat. Houses in cold climates are often built on stilts to insulate them from the freezing ground.

Clothing - There is an obvious link between clothing and climate! Why would you wear a snowsuit rather than a bikini if you visited the Arctic?

Sport and leisure opportunities - Remember the Jamaican bobsled team of Cool Runnings? They weren't too successful! Why might this be?

Sources of energy - Particularly windy areas have plenty of potential for wind farms.

Tourism - The next post considers this in more detail.

Water supply - Most of the UKs population live in the south and east, which is relatively dry. Water has to be transferred from reservoirs in the wetter west.

Snow and Ice - In areas where snow and ice are rare, even a small snowfall can lead to chaos on the roads. Schools may even be closed for the day!