Sun, Rain and Wind

What is weather?

Step outside. Is the sun shining? Is it raining? Is the wind blowing your shirt? Are there clouds in the sky?

All of these things are weather. Weather is what the sky and the air are doing right now, where you are.

Weather changes. This morning may be sunny, and this afternoon it may rain. Today may be hot, and tomorrow may be cool.

In this book you will learn about the sun, clouds, rain and wind. You will learn why Ghana has a rainy season and a dusty harmattan. And you will learn how to dress so the weather does not bother you.

Weather words

Here are the words we use to talk about weather.

• Sunny — the sun is shining and the sky is clear.
• Cloudy — clouds cover the sky.
• Rainy — water is falling from the clouds.
• Windy — the air is moving fast.
• Hot and cold — how warm the air feels.
• Dry and wet — how much water there is in the air and on the ground.

Try this: Look outside now. Which of these words describe the weather today? You may need more than one. "Sunny and windy" is a very common day in Accra!

The sun

The sun is a huge, hot ball of fire very far away. It gives us light and heat.

When the sun rises in the morning, the dark night ends. When it sets in the evening, night comes again.

The sun is the reason we have weather at all. It warms the land, the sea and the air. That warming makes wind blow and clouds form.

Safety first: Never look straight at the sun. It is so bright that it can hurt your eyes.

The sun warms the land

Have you ever touched the bonnet of a car that has been parked in the sun? It is hot! The sun warmed it.

The sun warms everything it shines on: the road, the roof, the sea, the sand on the beach, and you.

In the morning the sun is low and the air is cool. By the middle of the day the sun is high and the ground is hot. In the evening the sun goes down and the ground cools again.

Try this: Put one stone in the sun and one in the shade. After one hour, touch both. Which one is warmer? Why?

Hot days

Ghana is close to the equator, so many days are hot. On a hot day, your body sweats to cool you down. You lose water when you sweat, so you must drink more.

How to stay safe on a hot day:

• Drink clean water often, even if you are not thirsty.
• Play in the shade when the sun is highest, from about midday to three o'clock.
• Wear a hat or cap.
• Wear light, loose clothes.

Ama's grandmother always says, "The sun at noon is not your friend. Sit under the mango tree." She is right!

Clouds

Look up. Can you see clouds?

Clouds are made of tiny, tiny drops of water floating in the air. They are so small and light that they do not fall. There are millions and millions of them in one cloud.

Clouds come in many shapes. Some look like cotton wool. Some are thin and wispy. Some are a flat grey blanket across the whole sky.

Try this: Lie on your back on a mat and watch the clouds. Do they move? What shapes can you see? A fish? A goat? A trotro?

Reading the clouds

Clouds tell us what weather is coming. Here are three kinds to know.

White and puffy. Like cotton wool with flat bottoms. These are fair-weather clouds. The day will stay fine.

Thin and wispy. High up, like feathers or smoke. The weather is fine now, but it may change in a day or two.

Grey and heavy. Thick, low and dark. Rain is coming, maybe very soon.

Try this: Each morning this week, look at the clouds and guess whether it will rain. At the end of the day, check: were you right?

Dark clouds mean rain

When clouds grow thick and dark, the tiny drops inside them are joining together. They are becoming big, heavy drops.

The sky goes grey. The air feels heavy and still. Sometimes the wind suddenly picks up and the birds fly for cover. The temperature drops.

These are the signs that rain is coming. In Ghana, people say "the sky is gathering". When you see it, it is time to bring the washing in and head for shelter.

Rain

When the drops in a cloud become too heavy to float, they fall. This is rain.

Rain can be a light drizzle that barely wets your hair. It can be a heavy downpour that turns the road into a river in minutes. Both are rain.

Rain is a gift. It fills our rivers and wells. It waters the crops on the farm. It washes the dust off the leaves and cools the air.

Try this: Next time it rains, put a bowl outside. When the rain stops, see how deep the water is. Was it a little rain or a lot?

Where does rain come from?

Here is a puzzle. After it rains, there are puddles everywhere. The next day the puddles are gone. Where did the water go?

The sun warmed the puddles. The water turned into an invisible gas called water vapour and rose into the air. This is called evaporation.

High up, the air is cold. The vapour turned back into tiny drops and made a cloud. When the drops grew heavy, they fell as rain.

So the rain that falls today was once a puddle, a river, or the sea! Water goes round and round. We call this the water cycle.

Try this: the disappearing puddle

You can watch evaporation happen.

You need: two saucers, water, a sunny spot and a shady spot.

1. Pour the same amount of water into each saucer.
2. Put one saucer in the sun and one in the shade.
3. Check them every hour.

Which saucer empties first? The one in the sun! The sun's heat turns the water into vapour faster.

Now you know why wet clothes dry quickly on a sunny day and slowly on a cloudy day. The water is evaporating into the air, ready to become a cloud.

Thunder and lightning

Sometimes a rainstorm brings lightning — a bright flash in the sky — and thunder — a loud crash that follows it.

Lightning is a giant spark of electricity inside a storm cloud. Thunder is the sound it makes. We see the flash first and hear the thunder after, because light travels faster than sound.

Lightning is dangerous. Stay safe:

• Go indoors as soon as you hear thunder.
• Do not shelter under a tall tree.
• Stay away from open fields, water and metal poles.
• Wait until the thunder has stopped before going out again.

Wind

Wind is moving air. You cannot see it, but you can see what it does.

The wind bends the palm trees. It lifts the dust. It pushes the clouds across the sky. It dries the washing on the line. It fills a fisherman's sail.

Wind can be a gentle breeze that cools your face. It can also be a strong gust that blows roofs off houses before a storm.

Where does wind come from? The sun warms some places more than others. Warm air rises, and cooler air rushes in to take its place. That rushing air is wind.

Try this: catch the wind

Make a simple wind-catcher.

You need: a strip of light cloth or a plastic bag, a stick and some string.

1. Tie the strip of cloth to the top of the stick.
2. Hold the stick up outside.
3. Watch the cloth.

If the cloth hangs down, there is no wind. If it flutters, there is a light breeze. If it stands out straight, the wind is strong.

The cloth also shows you which way the wind is blowing. It points away from where the wind comes from.

Check your wind-catcher at different times of the day. Is it windier in the morning or in the afternoon?

Wind helps and wind harms

Wind can be useful.

• It dries clothes and cassava dough.
• It helps farmers separate grain from chaff when they toss it in the air.
• It cools us on a hot day.
• It pushes fishing boats out to sea.

But strong wind can be harmful.

• It can blow dust into our eyes.
• It can break branches and tear off roofing sheets.
• It can spread a bush fire quickly.

Think: Kofi's father is building a house. Why does he tie the roofing sheets down very tightly?

Rainbows

Sometimes, after the rain, the sun comes out while there are still drops in the air. Then you may see a rainbow.

Sunlight looks white, but it is really made of many colours mixed together. When sunlight passes through raindrops, the drops split it into its colours: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

To see a rainbow, stand with your back to the sun and look towards the rain.

Try this: On a sunny day, spray water from your mouth in a fine mist with the sun behind you. Can you make a tiny rainbow?

Ghana's seasons

Some countries have four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. Ghana does not. Ghana is warm all year.

Instead, Ghana has a rainy season and a dry season. The big difference between them is not how hot it is. It is how much rain falls.

In the south, there are two rainy times: a long one from about April to July, and a shorter one around September to November. In the north, there is one long rainy season from about May to October.

The rest of the year is the dry season. In the middle of the dry season comes the harmattan.

The rainy season

In the rainy season, it rains often. Sometimes it rains every day, usually in the afternoon or at night.

The land turns green. Rivers and streams fill up. Farmers plant maize, yam, cassava and vegetables, because the crops need the water to grow.

The air feels cooler, but also damp. Clothes take longer to dry. Roads can become muddy and slippery.

Try this: Ask an older person at home: "When does the rainy season start where we live?" Different parts of Ghana have different answers.

Living with the rains

The rains bring good things and some problems.

Good things: Crops grow. Wells fill up. The dust settles. It is cooler.

Problems: Heavy rain can flood roads and homes, especially where gutters are blocked with rubbish. Mosquitoes breed in puddles and can spread malaria.

How to stay safe and healthy in the rainy season:

• Do not play in flood water. It may be deep or dirty.
• Help keep gutters clear of rubbish.
• Pour out standing water in tins and tyres so mosquitoes cannot breed.
• Sleep under a treated mosquito net.

The dry season

In the dry season, very little rain falls, sometimes none at all for weeks.

The sky is often clear and the sun is strong. Grass turns brown. Some streams dry up. Dust rises from the roads whenever a car goes by.

Farmers harvest their crops. Some use water from rivers or wells to grow vegetables in the dry season. This is called irrigation.

The dry season in the north is longer and hotter than in the south. In the far north, it can last from November to April.

Think: Why do bush fires happen more often in the dry season?

The harmattan

Every year, from about December to February, a dry, dusty wind blows across Ghana from the Sahara Desert in the north. This is the harmattan.

The harmattan carries fine dust that fills the air. The sky turns hazy and the sun looks pale, like a white coin. You may not be able to see far down the road.

Mornings and nights are surprisingly cold. The middle of the day is hot. The air is very dry.

The harmattan is strongest in the north of Ghana. In the south, near the sea, it is milder and shorter.

How the harmattan feels

The harmattan is dry, and dry air pulls water out of your body.

• Your lips crack.
• Your skin feels rough and may turn ashy.
• Your nose and throat feel dry. Some people cough or get nosebleeds.
• Your eyes itch from the dust.

How to stay comfortable:

• Rub shea butter or lotion on your skin and lips.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a cloth on very dusty days.
• Wash your face and eyes with clean water.

Abena keeps a small tin of shea butter in her school bag all through the harmattan.

Worked example: reading the morning sky

Kwame wants to know if he needs his raincoat today. Here is how he decides.

Step 1: Look up. The sky is grey and the clouds are low and thick.

Step 2: Feel the air. It is still and heavy, not fresh.

Step 3: Listen. The birds are quiet. Far away there is a rumble.

Step 4: Think about the season. It is June, in the rainy season.

Decision: Rain is very likely. Kwame packs his raincoat and puts his books in a plastic bag.

By break time, it is pouring. Kwame's books stay dry!

Dressing for the sun

On a hot, sunny day, dress to stay cool and keep the sun off your skin.

• A hat or cap shades your face and neck.
• Light colours like white and yellow stay cooler than dark colours.
• Loose, thin clothes let the air move around your body.
• Sandals keep your feet cool.

Dark clothes soak up the sun's heat. A black shirt on a hot day feels like an oven!

Try this: Put a white cloth and a black cloth in the sun for half an hour. Touch them. Which one is hotter?

Dressing for the rain

On a rainy day, the aim is to stay dry.

• A raincoat or a plastic poncho keeps the rain off your clothes.
• An umbrella keeps your head dry.
• Rubber boots or sandals are better than cloth shoes, which soak up water.
• A plastic bag inside your school bag protects your books.

Wet clothes make you cold, and being cold and wet for a long time can make you ill. If you get soaked, change into dry clothes as soon as you can.

Dressing for the harmattan

The harmattan is tricky. It is cold in the morning and hot in the afternoon. So dress in layers.

• In the morning, wear a jumper or jacket over your uniform.
• By midday, take the jumper off and carry it.
• Wear long sleeves to keep dust off your skin.
• Keep a handkerchief or face cloth to cover your nose when the dust is thick.
• Bring lip balm or shea butter and a bottle of water.

Kofi's mother laughs at him for wearing a jacket in Ghana. But at six in the morning in January, Kofi is the warm one!

Try this: pack the bag

For each day, say what Ama should put in her school bag.

1. Monday: Sunny and very hot. Clear sky.
2. Tuesday: Grey sky, low clouds, the air is heavy.
3. Wednesday: Harmattan. Cold and dusty in the morning.
4. Thursday: Sunny with a light breeze.
5. Friday: Rain all morning, then sun.

Choose from: hat, raincoat, umbrella, jumper, water bottle, shea butter, plastic bag for books, handkerchief, sandals.

Some days need more than one thing. Friday is a tricky one!

Weather and our work

Many people in Ghana plan their work around the weather.

Farmers plant when the rains start and harvest in the dry season. If the rains come late, the crops suffer.

Fishermen look at the wind and the sky before they go out. Strong winds make big waves, so they stay on shore.

Market traders cover their goods when the rain comes and sell cold drinks when it is hot.

Builders cannot pour cement or lay blocks in heavy rain.

Try this: Ask someone at home how the weather changes their work.

Try this: keep a weather chart

Scientists who study the weather write it down every day. You can too.

Draw a table with seven rows, one for each day of the week. Make columns for:

• Sky — sunny, cloudy or rainy
• Wind — none, light or strong
• Heat — cool, warm or hot

Every morning and afternoon, look outside and fill in the table. Use little drawings if you like: a sun, a cloud, raindrops.

After a week, look at your chart. Which was the hottest day? Did it rain? Was the morning different from the afternoon?

Measure the rain

You can measure how much rain falls with a rain gauge. Here is how to make one.

You need: a clear plastic bottle, scissors, a ruler, some stones.

1. Ask an adult to cut the top off the bottle.
2. Turn the top upside down and put it back in, like a funnel.
3. Put a few stones in the bottom so it does not blow over.
4. Stand it in an open place, away from trees and roofs.

After each rain, measure how deep the water is with your ruler. Write it in your weather chart. Then pour it out, ready for next time.

The weather forecast

A forecast is a guess about tomorrow's weather, made by scientists called meteorologists. They study clouds, wind and temperature all over the world, using special instruments and satellites in space.

In Ghana, the Ghana Meteorological Agency makes the forecast. You can hear it on the radio and TV, or see it on a phone.

The forecast is not always right, because weather is hard to predict. But it is right often enough to help farmers, fishermen and pilots plan.

Try this: Listen to tonight's forecast. Tomorrow, check whether it was right.

Weather and climate

Weather is what is happening today: sunny, rainy, windy.

Climate is the usual pattern of weather in a place over many, many years.

Today's weather in Accra might be rainy. But Accra's climate is warm all year, with a rainy season and a dry season. Weather changes every day. Climate changes very slowly.

Think of it like this: weather is what you wear today. Climate is what you keep in your wardrobe.

Scientists have noticed that the world's climate is slowly getting warmer. That can change when the rains come and how strong they are. It is something to watch carefully.

Safe in every weather

Whatever the weather, there are a few rules that keep you safe.

• Sun: Drink water. Find shade at midday. Never stare at the sun.
• Rain: Keep dry. Stay out of flood water. Do not touch fallen electric wires.
• Thunder: Go inside. Stay away from tall trees and metal.
• Wind: Keep away from loose roofing sheets and swaying branches.
• Harmattan: Cover your nose in dust. Keep your skin and lips moist. Be careful with fire, because everything is dry.

The weather is not your enemy. But it deserves respect.

What we learned

Well done! Here is everything from this book.

• Weather is what the sky and air are doing right now.
• The sun gives light and heat and drives all our weather.
• Clouds are tiny water drops. Dark, heavy clouds bring rain.
• Rain comes from water that evaporated and rose into the sky. It goes round in the water cycle.
• Wind is moving air.
• Ghana has a rainy season and a dry season. The dusty harmattan blows from December to February.
• Dress for the weather: hats for sun, raincoats for rain, layers for harmattan.

Keep looking up. The sky is always telling you something.

Learn more

• Ghana Meteorological Agency — Ghana's own weather forecasts and warnings
• Met Office: Learn about weather — clear explanations of clouds, rain, wind and more
• Simple English Wikipedia: Weather — a plain-language page about weather
• Wikipedia: Harmattan — where the dusty wind comes from and where it blows
• National Geographic Kids — science and nature for young readers

Watch more

Think about it

1. Where do you think the water in a puddle goes when the puddle dries up?
2. Why are mornings in the harmattan cold, when Ghana is a hot country?
3. If the rains came very late one year, what would happen to the farms?
4. Why should you not shelter under a tall tree in a thunderstorm?
5. What is the weather like right now? How do you know?