As the Earth spins on its axis, it orbits about the Sun. This means that at different times of year, different parts of the world directly face the Sun in the middle of the day. In January, places about 2,000 kilometres south of the equator have the hottest weather. In July, the hottest weather is about 2,000 kilometres north of the equator. This means that the warmest season in the northern parts of the world is during July and in the southern part during January.

Many climates further away from the equator have four seasons. The weather in winter is often too cold for most plants to grow, and there is a good deal of frost. In summer and winter the weather is often stable for longer periods of time. The weather in spring and autumn often changes from day to day, with high winds and sudden showers. The main season of growth is spring.

 

 

 

 

As the hottest regions change, the directions of winds and positions of fronts change around the world. These winds and fronts affect rainfall, and so some regions have distinct rainy and dry seasons. In India, for example, there is a very rainy summer season, called the wet ‘monsoon’, but little or no rain from December to April.

The wet monsoon often causes flooding.