Weather and climate

This Question and Answer examines an AQA A2 question on weather and climate. Although this is an AQA question, all exam boards cover the topic of weather and climate, and the style of question, with linked sections, is typical of A-level exams. The parts of the question are printed in bold type and the students’ answers are in tint areas. The examiner’s comments are the responsibility of GEOGRAPHY REVIEW and have neither been provided nor approved by the examination board. The question is reproduced by permission of AQA

Table 1 Mark scheme for question 1

The questions discussed here are from AQA A2 Physical option 2: Weather and climate and associated hazards, from the January 2011 Unit 3 Contemporary Geographical Issues, GEOG3 paper. The question parts form a linked sequence, typical of A-level style questioning:

■ Question 1 is a data-interpretation question with a ‘double’ command word (describe + explain). The figure provides some help, but understanding weather systems is essential in order to answer the question fully.