CLIMA vs TIEMPO
Do you know the difference between tiempo (weather) and clima (climate)?
The concepts of weather and climate are frequently confused in English too. Both refer to local conditions of temperature, rain, etc., but the main difference is the timescale.
Tiempo refers to the atmospheric conditions at a certain time and place, which are caused by a specific combination of pressure, temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind, cloudiness… It can vary in a matter of days, hours, or minutes. Meteorologists can predict the weather (el tiempo) only for the next few days.
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- Hay que aprovechar el buen tiempo [We should make the most of the good weather]
Clima is the average registered values for temperature, precipitation, sunshine hours, wind rates, etc., in a given place over a long period of time, usually 30 years. The climate provides information about the regular seasonal variations of a place, region, or country. Some of the most common climates are tropical, desert, subtropical, Mediterranean, oceanic, continental, steppe, tundra, and polar.
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- No soporto el clima frío [I can’t stand cold climates]
In a place with a Mediterranean climate, the weather would be sunny and hot most days in summer. However, on a specific day in July, the weather can be rainy and chilly too.
