British Sign Language Glossaries of Curriculum Terms

BSL Environmental Science Glossary - The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) definition

Description: NAO stands for 'North Atlantic Oscillation'. The Met Office uses this to predict weather patterns in the North Atlantic Ocean. In this part of the world there are two pressure systems: one is called the 'Azores High' which is near Portugal; the other, to the north, is the 'Icelandic Low'. The differences in atmospheric pressure between these two systems affect the weather across the region, which includes the UK. Strong pressure differences are referred to as the 'NAO Positive Phase'; weaker differences are the 'NAO Negative Phase'.