Climate graphs show monthly temperature and precipitation patterns, helping you compare climates and understand how climatic conditions influence biome distribution.
K&U 2.4.3 to 2.4.5Interpretation and graph plotting
When could this come up?
In an exam, you may be asked to construct or interpret a climate graph, compare locations or time periods, and use the patterns to infer how climate change could alter biome distribution.
How it works
x-axisMonths of the year
BarsMonthly precipitation in mm
LineAverage monthly temperature in °C
Overall patternHow warm, cold, wet or dry the location is
Choose a biome
Annual precipitation-
Mean annual temperature-
Monthly precipitationAverage monthly temperature
Read the climate description
A temperate deciduous forest has clear seasonal changes in temperature and receives precipitation throughout the year.
In January, the average temperature is 2°C and precipitation is 45 mm.
By April, temperatures have increased to 11°C, while precipitation reaches 55 mm.
The warmest conditions occur in July, when the average temperature is 21°C and precipitation is 75 mm.
By October, the temperature has fallen back to 11°C, with around 50 mm of precipitation.
Your job is to identify the four months and extract the correct rainfall and temperature values from the text.
Your climate graph
Your precipitation barsYour temperature points
Plot the 4 months
Month
Rain (mm)
Temp (°C)
Read the paragraph and enter the values for each month.
3-mark practice
Describe the trend
Describe the trends in temperature and precipitation from January to July. Use at least two specific data points from the graph in your answer. [3]
A strong answer should describe the overall pattern and support it with specific values and months.
Example answer:
Temperature increases from 2°C in January to 11°C in April and reaches 21°C in July. Precipitation also increases overall, from 45 mm in January to 55 mm in April and 75 mm in July.
Follow-up questions
Describe the temperature pattern from January to October.
Describe the precipitation pattern.
What do these climatic conditions suggest about the vegetation that could grow here?
How might the biome change if precipitation became much lower while temperature stayed similar?