Rivers and climates in Spain and Europe

What’s the weather going to be like?

How can meteorologists predict the weather? Do they have a crystal ball?

No. Their predictions are based on meteorology, the science that studies the atmosphere and weather.

Meteorologists use images they receive from artificial satellites orbiting the Earth. They analyse these images for information about cloud movements, clear areas, or the temperature in the upper part of the atmosphere.

Meteorologists also use information about temperature, precipitation, wind, etc. from weather stations all over the world, including weather stations on boats.

However, factors such as clouds and winds can change suddenly, which means meteorologists have to change their forecasts. For this reason, only weather forecasts for the next few days are very reliable.

Read and understand

What is meteorology?

What do meteorologists use to make weather forecasts?

Why do meteorologists sometimes get forecasts wrong?

What weather forecasts are the most reliable?

Look at the photo. What do you see? Which parts of Spain are covered with clouds? Which parts are clear? Which parts might be covered in the next few hours?

SPEAKING. Think about two jobs in which weather forecasts are important. Talk to your partner about how the weather can affect these jobs.

What do you remember?

Weather and climate

Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place. Climate is the weather in a particular region over a long period of time.

What is the weather like today in your town/city?

What kind of climate does your region have?

Rivers

Rivers are large flowing bodies of water. The course of a river is divided into three parts: the upper course, the middle course and the lower course.

Describe the flow and the characteristics of rivers in the upper, middle and lower courses.

1. The rivers of Spain

Map of the watersheds of Spain.

The Cantabrian, the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic watersheds are the three main watersheds in Spain.

The Cantabrian watershed

This includes all the rivers that flow into the Cantabrian Sea. These rivers are short, and have a regular and abundant flow because rainfall in this area is frequent throughout the year. The main rivers of this watershed are: the Navia, the Nalón, the Eo, the Nervión and the Bidasoa.

The Cantabrian watershed

The Atlantic watershed

This includes all the rivers that flow into the Atlantic Ocean.

It is the largest watershed in Spain.

The rivers of Galicia. These are short rivers with an abundant flow and a regular flow regime. The longest rivers are the Miño and its tributary, the Sil.
The rivers of the Inner Plateau. These are long rivers, but have an irregular flow regime with a lower flow in summer. The main rivers are the Duero, the Tajo and the Guadiana.
The rivers of Andalusia. These are short rivers with a low flow and an irregular flow regime, except for the Guadalquivir.

There are no rivers in the Canary Islands. When it rains heavily, water flows through deep channels called gorges.

The Sil Canyon in Galicia.

The Mediterranean watershed

This includes all the rivers that flow into the Mediterranean Sea. Except for the Ebro, these rivers are short and carry little water because they flow through areas with low rainfall. They have an irregular flow regime: a low flow, or even drought in the summer, and a high flow, or even flooding in spring and autumn.

The Ebro river passing through Fuenmayor.

The rivers of Spain

Write sentences to describe the rivers in each of Spain’s watersheds.

1 attempt

Which watershed do the rivers in your autonomous community belong to?

1 attempt

ICT. Research a main river in your autonomous community and make an index card. Include its name, length, flow, source, mouth, watershed and tributaries.