klimatu

Klimatu is the word for climate in the genitive or oblique form in Czech and related languages; in English the term is climate. In scientific usage, klimatu refers to the long-term patterns and statistics of the atmosphere, oceans, and land surfaces in a region, including typical temperatures, precipitation, humidity, wind, and the frequency of extremes. It is distinguished from weather, which describes short-term atmospheric conditions over minutes to weeks.

Climatology collects observations from weather stations, ships, buoys, and satellites, and extends back in time through proxies such as tree rings and ice cores. Climate normals—standard 30-year averages—are used to characterize what is typical for a location. Classification schemes, such as the Köppen system, group regions by prevailing temperature and precipitation patterns into tropical, arid, temperate, continental, and polar types.

Klimatu varies naturally due to factors such as orbital cycles and internal ocean–atmosphere variability (for example El Niño–Southern Oscillation). Human activities, notably the burning of fossil fuels and land-use changes, modify the energy balance of the planet, leading to warming and shifts in precipitation. These changes increase the incidence and intensity of heat waves, heavy rainfall, droughts, and other extreme events and contribute to rising sea levels.

Impacts of klimatu include effects on ecosystems, agriculture, water resources, health, and infrastructure. Societies respond with adaptation—improving buildings, water management, and agricultural practices—and mitigation, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and expanding clean energy. International cooperation, climate research, and policy instruments aim to limit risks and support resilience.

The form klimatu is the oblique/case form of the word climate in Czech and related languages, reflecting how the same concept is expressed across linguistic and scientific contexts.