Factors Influencing Climate: Latitude

At the equator the sun is directly overhead. This means that the sun’s rays are more focused, as they only have to heat up a small area of land. Where as at the poles the sun is at a lower angle in the sky, this means the sun’s rays are spread out over a larger area so cannot heat the ground enough to cause high temperatures.

Latitude

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Latitude affects temperature in three ways:

1. Near the poles the sun's rays are spread over a larger surface area than the equator and therefore do not have the same 'intensity' . 
2. The equatorial regions are slightly closer to the sun and therefore warmer.
3. Less heat is lost to the atmosphere near the equator due to the fact that there is less distance for the sun's rays to pass through.

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Watch the following videos:

How Latitude Affects Temperature

Latitude Effects on Climate