Final answer:
Humidity rising on a hot day in May is an example of weather, not climate. Weather refers to short-term atmospheric conditions, while climate is the long-term average of weather patterns over many years.
Step-by-step explanation:
The example of humidity rising on a hot day in May is an instance of weather. Weather describes the atmospheric conditions over a short period of time, such as hours or days, and includes variables like temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind, and atmospheric pressure. In contrast, climate refers to the long-term averages of these conditions, typically assessed over the span of several decades. Climate is what we expect based on historical patterns, whereas weather is the specific, day-to-day manifestation of these patterns.
Understanding the difference between weather and climate is critical, particularly when considering events like global climate change, which encompasses significant and lasting changes to climatic patterns. While the example given refers explicitly to a short-term change in humidity on a specific day, it does not reflect long-term patterns that would be indicative of a region's climate. Therefore, when we talk about a rise in humidity on a particular hot day in May, we are discussing weather, not climate.