| A | B |
| weather | changes in temperature and precipitation over a short period |
| climate | usual pattern of weather events in an area over a long period of time |
| tropics | region of the world located between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn (about 30 degrees North and 30 degrees South), with a generally hot climate |
| current | moving streams of water, warm or cold, in the oceans; also streams of air |
| hurricane | fierce tropical storm system with high-speed winds, formed over warm oceans |
| typhoon | a hurricane, or tropical storm system, that forms in the Pacific Ocean |
| monsoon | seasonal winds that bring rain to parts of Asia |
| rain shadow | area on the inland side of mountain ranges, where little rain falls |