der . ▁ ▁We ather ▁can ▁have ▁both ▁benef icial ▁and ▁harm ful ▁effects . ▁Ext rem es ▁in ▁weather , ▁such ▁as ▁torn ado es ▁or ▁h urr ican es ▁and ▁cycl ones , ▁can ▁exp end ▁large ▁amounts ▁of ▁energy ▁along ▁their ▁paths , ▁and ▁produce ▁dev ast ation . ▁Sur face ▁veget ation ▁has ▁evol ved ▁a ▁dependence ▁on ▁the ▁season al ▁variation ▁of ▁the ▁weather , ▁and ▁sudden ▁changes ▁last ing ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁can ▁have ▁a ▁dram atic ▁effect , ▁both ▁on ▁the ▁veget ation ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁animals ▁which ▁depend ▁on ▁its ▁growth ▁for ▁their ▁food . ▁ ▁Cl imate ▁is ▁a ▁measure ▁of ▁the ▁long - term ▁tr ends ▁in ▁the ▁weather . ▁Vari ous ▁factors ▁are ▁known ▁to ▁influence ▁the ▁climate , ▁including ▁ocean ▁curr ents , ▁surface ▁al bed o , ▁green house ▁g ases , ▁variations ▁in ▁the ▁solar ▁lum inos ity , ▁and ▁changes ▁to ▁the ▁Earth ' s ▁orbit . ▁Based ▁on ▁historical ▁records , ▁the ▁Earth ▁is ▁known ▁to ▁have ▁under g one ▁dr astic ▁climate ▁changes ▁in ▁the ▁past , ▁including ▁ice ▁ages . ▁ ▁The ▁climate ▁of ▁a ▁region ▁depends ▁on ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁factors , ▁especially ▁latitude . ▁A ▁lat itud inal ▁band ▁of ▁the ▁surface ▁with ▁similar ▁clim atic ▁attributes ▁forms ▁a ▁climate ▁region . ▁There ▁are ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁such ▁regions , ▁r anging ▁from ▁the ▁tropical ▁climate ▁at ▁the ▁equ ator ▁to ▁the ▁polar ▁climate ▁in ▁the ▁northern ▁and ▁southern ▁extrem es .