1. Latitude

Temperature decreases as latitude increases, meaning places near the equator have higher temperature than regions near the poles.

This is due to the curved surface of Earth, causing rays from the sun to hit the surface at different angles. The angle at which the sun’s rays hit the Earth is called the angle of incidence.

At the equator, the angle of incidence is 90° and the heat is concentrated in a small area, also less solar radiation is lost as the distance travelled by the rays is shorter, thus the temperature is higher.

Nearer the Poles, the angle of incidence gets smaller and the heat is spread over a larger area, also more solar radiation is lost as the distance travelled by the rays is longer, thus the temperature is lower.

2. Altitude

Temperature decreases as altitude (height) increases, and the normal lapse rate is a decrease of 6.4° per 1000 m increase in height.

This happens because at higher places, there is less water vapour and dust particles in the atmosphere to trap the heat, so the temperature decreases.

At places nearer to the Earth’s surface, where most of the atmosphere is found, there is more water vapour and other gases to absorb heat, thus, the temperature is higher.

But in the troposphere, the opposite may happen, where temperature increases with height. This is called temperature inversion. There are a few conditions that favour temperature inversion.

• A warm front where warm air rises over cold air
• A cold front where cold air undercuts warm air
• Air near the ground cools down faster than air higher up due to rapid outgoing terrestrial radiation.
• Warm air at the bottom of a valley is displaced by cold air flowing down the slopes of it.

3. Distance from the sea

Distance from the sea affects temperature as water absorbs and loses heat slower than land. This difference influences the temperatures of coastal areas, especially if there are prevailing winds blowing onshore.

In coastal areas, summers are not as hot because the sea is cooler than the land and winter is not as cold because the sea is warmer than the land.

This kind of influence on the temperature by the sea in coastal areas is called maritime influence and the area has a maritime climate. Areas with a maritime climate have a smaller range of temperature between summer and winter temperatures.

In inland areas, far away from the sea, the temperature is not affected by the sea, so they are under continental influence and have continental climate.

Areas with a continental climate experience extreme temperatures and have a larger range of temperature between summer and winter temperatures.

4. Ocean currents

Ocean currents are flows of surface water in the ocean, generated by prevailing winds blowing over the water surface. There are two types of ocean currents.

Cold ocean currents are those that originate from the polar regions and warm ocean currents are those that bring warm water to the polar regions.

Cold ocean currents lower the temperatures of the coastal areas they move along, whereas warm ocean currents help to keep coastal areas warm.

Other factors