Weather System Time and Space Scales
| Scale | Typical Duration | Spatial Range | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microscale | Seconds to hours | Centimeters to ~1 km | Turbulence, gusts, cloud microphysics |
| Mesoscale | Hours to days | ~2 km to 2,000 km | Thunderstorms, sea breezes, squall lines |
| Synoptic Scale | Days to a week | ~200 km to 2,000+ km | Cyclones, anticyclones, frontal systems |
| Planetary Scale | Weeks to months | Thousands of km | Jet streams, Rossby waves, trade winds |
Climate Timescales
| Scale | Duration | Focus | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weather (Short-term) | Hours to ~10 days | Initial conditions, rapid changes | Storms, cold fronts, daily forecasts |
| Subseasonal | 2 weeks to 2 months | Pattern recurrence, quasi-stationary systems | Blocking highs, MJO, heatwaves |
| Seasonal | 3 months to 2 years | Boundary conditions, ocean-atmosphere coupling | ENSO, monsoons, seasonal rainfall |
| Decadal/Climate | 2+ years to centuries | Long-term trends, internal variability | Climate change, NAO, AMO, anthropogenic forcing |
Climate Timescales Relevant to Kent and UK
| Time Scale | Duration | Examples Relevant to Kent & UK |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 0–10 days | – North Sea gales – Channel fog – Daily forecasts |
| Subseasonal | 2 weeks–2 months | – MJO-linked rainfall anomalies – Stratospheric warming events – Blocking highs |
| Seasonal | 3 months–2 years | – ENSO’s impact on UK winters – Met Office seasonal outlooks – Monsoon teleconnections |
| Climate | 2+ years to centuries | – NAO phase shifts – Sea level rise trends in Kent – Anthropogenic warming |
