question on weather...

[tttomius]

why july is the hottest month of the year?

thanks guys...

[swansont]

You've never heard of Australia, have you?

[Bubba]

July the hottest month?????

 

Swansont, thanks for sticking up for all the people here 'down under'.

[Edisonian]

The hottest month depends on the geographical location.

[insane_alien]

i take it you are in the northern hemisphere like me. the earth is in a position on its orbit where the axial tilt is pointed towards the sun therefor we receive more intense light which gives us more energy per square meter making it hotter.

[Ophiolite]

we receive more intense light .

And for a longer period of time.

Midusmmer's day, when the sun is both at its highest position in the sky and the day is longest occurs on June 21st. One might then expect June ot be the hottest month. There is however a delay - everything takes time to warm up.

[swansont]

i take it you are in the northern hemisphere like me. the earth is in a position on its orbit where the axial tilt is pointed towards the sun therefor we receive more intense light which gives us more energy per square meter making it hotter.

 

It's not that light is more intense, it's that it's daylight longer. The intensity of the summer light is slightly lower for the northern hemisphere, since we are further from the sun (aphelion occurring in early July)

[Ophiolite]

Swanson, I think you are incorrectly interpreting 'intensity' here. It is true, as you have noted, that the incoming solar radiation is slightly less intense in the Northern Hemisphere summer. However, the orientation of the Earth means that the solar flux per square meter is spread out over a smaller area on the surface of the Earth in the summer than it is in the winter. Hence the intensity of radiation per unit surface area is higher.

[Douglas]

It's not that light is more intense, it's that it's daylight longer. The intensity of the summer light is slightly lower for the northern hemisphere, since we are further from the sun (aphelion occurring in early July)

Actually, the light is more intense, at my latitude, the sun gets to about 70 degrees above the horizon in June and 23 degrees above in Dec........ In June, the sun has less atmosphere to plow through, thus hotter.

[Douglas]

It is true, as you have noted, that the incoming solar radiation is slightly less intense in the Northern Hemisphere summer. .

As referenced to the Southern hemisphere summer.........so everyone understands.

[j_p]

Are you certain that july is hotter than august up here?

[Douglas]

Are you certain that july is hotter than august up here?

I'm not certain. The earth is like a huge capacitor with a slow charge and discharge time, and though the solstice's are on or about June 21st and Dec 21st, the earth may not be fully charged or discharged in terms of heat and cold until the 1st week of August and the 1st week of February.

[swansont]

Swanson, I think you are incorrectly interpreting 'intensity' here. It is true, as you have noted, that the incoming solar radiation is slightly less intense in the Northern Hemisphere summer. However, the orientation of the Earth means that the solar flux per square meter is spread out over a smaller area on the surface of the Earth in the summer than it is in the winter. Hence the intensity of radiation per unit surface area is[/b'] higher.

 

Ah, of course, you are correct about that. But I still think that the longer hours make a large contribution, since the relevant factor is the integral of the two.

[Douglas]

Ah, of course, you are correct about that. But I still think that the longer hours make a large contribution, since the relevant factor is the integral of the two.

Yes, and above the arctic circle is where the effects of the length of day would be most pronounced.