Nisma Rafiq

Saudi Gazette

 

It is November, the second last month before the year comes to an end. There are different seasons in the year, but in the Kingdom it is usually warm because its a desert. But you all must have noticed that now a days, you are not much exhausted when you come back from school. You are not sweating like before, and feel like sleeping early in the night and even wake up fresh in the morning. The weather has changed after a brief, yet refreshing, spell of rain past week.



Other cities in Jeddah have a slightly more cooler weather, while residents of some cities are experiencing the thrills of a chilly weather.



We can say that season have changed as summer ends and winter is coming. Do you know how and why the seasons change?



There are four seasons on this planet, spring, summer, autumn and winter. In spring flowers blossom, and plants grow, while in summer you have summer vacations because of intense heat. In the autumn, leaves change color and fall of the trees. Winter is cold, completely opposite of summer. Snowfalls in many places as well.



Seasons keep changing. The reason why it is summer sometimes and other times its winter is because the earth spins around the sun in a slightly tilted axis.  The tilt has two major effects: the angle of the Sun to the Earth and length of the days.



For almost half year Earth is tilted such that North Pole is more pointed towards the sun, and the days on northern side are longer and hotter. As the Earth keeps spinning throughout the year, its tilt changes and South Pole is pointed at the Sun.



During summer, the sunlight hits directly on Earth and heat it up, whereas during the winter sun shines on the earth at an angle and less heat is spread over a much larger area.



So now you know why winter is here, but you must also know that it is the season for cold and flu. You can find below some tips to minimize your risk of catching cold.



Dress Warm – You may not be in a habit of wearing jackets or jumpers, but when the season is changing you must take precautions and dress accordingly.



Wash your hands – It is important in every season and every day of the year. Germs can be transferred by a physical contact, a hug or a handshake. You must properly wash them.



Drink plenty of water - You might not feel thirsty in winters as you did in summers, but doctors say that you must drink 8 glasses of water a day to stay healthy. Make sure the drinks you take are at moderate temperature. Cold drinks can cause sore throat.



Sleep soundly - Nights are short in winter, but you must take care of your sleep. Finish up all your chores and homework on time and go to bed to sleep at least 8-9 hours, enough to wake up fresh in the morning.



Eat Healthy- Eating vegetables and other home cooked food will help you keep warm. Don’t skip your meal whether breakfast or dinner.