Geography @ NumptyNerd
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  • People & Planet
    • Agro-industrialisation
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    • Biodiversity loss is a SDG
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    • Natural Causes of Climate Change
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    • The Debate about Aid
    • Tourism: the Butler Model
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  • Places
    • Africa is not a country
    • Bangladesh: tourism
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    • London: the capital city of the world?
    • Salford: a city regenerated?
  • The Tool Shed
    • Climate Graphs
    • Images and Captions
    • Critical Thinking >
      • Misleading Maps
      • Mapping an alternative World
      • Language and Geography
      • Gross Domestic Lies

​Understand Climate Graphs

On this page you will find the resources that you need to research and build your own climate graphs.


A basic climate graph will show information about temperature (Celsius) and precipitation (millimetres). More advanced climate graphs will show other atmospheric conditions, such as maximum and minimum temperatures.

Traditionally, precipitation (rainfall) is drawn as a blue bar chart, whilst temperature is shown as a red line. Some geography teachers have been known to freak when they see these rules being broken! However, the golden rule is to construct a climate graph that can be understood by everyone. 
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An example of a climate graph that is clear and easy to understand.

Go get some data ...

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Climatedata.eu is one of the best websites for climate data and climate graphs. Sadly. it only covers Europe and Africa.

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Weatheronline.co.uk is a useful website that covers thousands of places across the planet, and if you are Nerdy with stats try the climate robot.

Climate information can also be found scattered across Wikipedia. Here, for example, you can find climate data for London, UK.

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The World Meteorological Organisation provides climate data.

Here you will find a map to search that data - curtesy of the Hong Kong Observatory.

For data that is easy to understand, Numpty Nerd recommends that you use ISO units. Fahrenheit is used by old people and Americans. If you like the expression subzero temperatures, stick with Celsius. 

Understanding and Writing about Climate Graphs

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The BBC Bitesize website is a useful place to find out about climate graphs.
Here you will find a comprehensive checklist of things to cover when you are struggling to say something geographical about the climate of the places that you are interested in.


Building your own climate graphs

If you have access to Microsoft Excel you can cut and paste climate data into a spreadsheet to make your own climate graph.

Click here to download written instructions, or watch the video below.

About Numpty Nerd™


​Numpty Nerd™ is for anyone who loves Geography.
Geography is about learning to change the future. People need to have knowledge that empowers them to develop a sustainable future. Geographers aim to foster sustainable relationships between people and their environments.

Every effort is made to respect copyright, if you think something here belongs to you, please contact Numpty Nerd.™ This is a non-profit website. The stuff here is protected by the usual copyright laws. Please remember to cite Numptynerd.net as your source.

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Numpty Nerd - Made in Hong Kong
  • Home Page
  • Globalisation
    • Globalisation: a Geographical Process
    • Globalisation: Diaspora
    • Globalisation: Cultural Diffusion
    • Globalisation: fashion victims
    • Globalisation and Identity
    • Globalisation and Food Cultures
  • People & Planet
    • Agro-industrialisation
    • Air Pollution
    • Biodiversity loss is a SDG
    • China after the one child policy
    • Desertification in China
    • Natural Causes of Climate Change
    • Renewable Energy
    • Slow Food Movement
    • Technology: a Geographical Perspective
    • The Debate about Aid
    • Tourism: the Butler Model
    • Tourism as a Development Strategy
  • Places
    • Africa is not a country
    • Bangladesh: tourism
    • Milan - Italy's Superstar City
    • Nigeria: Africa's biggest economy
    • London: the capital city of the world?
    • Salford: a city regenerated?
  • The Tool Shed
    • Climate Graphs
    • Images and Captions
    • Critical Thinking >
      • Misleading Maps
      • Mapping an alternative World
      • Language and Geography
      • Gross Domestic Lies