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The planet has a slow rotation around its axis, taking 384 hours for a full day and night cycle at the equator. There is one large continent which takes up around one third of the planets surface. The other two thirds are ocean with some scattered islands. The continent is fairly flat with no major mountain ranges. The entire planet is hot with the average temperature at the equator sitting around 50 degrees Celsius. There is no moon orbiting the planet and the planet is similar in size and composition to earth.

I am wondering what effect this long day/night cycle would have on the planets weather. There would be storms of course but I'm wondering wind force and size. I am also wondering whether the storms would be mostly present at specific times of day or if they would be more constant. Any other effects the day night cycle might have on the weather would also be appreciated.

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    $\begingroup$ Why would this planet stay deset? If life can start at all, it'll probably adapt to this temperature. $\endgroup$
    – Mołot
    Commented Dec 31, 2018 at 8:01
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    $\begingroup$ Describing planet-wide weather effects is too broad for this site. Weather is a function of a thousand variables: ocean currents, land mass & location, mountains, lakes, atmospheric composition, nature of the star, rotational period, orbital period... you need to provide a ton of information for this kind of assessment to be made: not the least of which is a map and a specific location on the map you're worried about. $\endgroup$
    – JBH
    Commented Dec 31, 2018 at 8:40

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Weather effects:

Every time the day hits the continent the winds would increase massively because water heats up way slower than soil/sand. I don't know how strong these winds exactly would be but you can expect a strong storm every 384 hours ravaging from the freshly heated up continental surface towards the dark and cold part of the continent which is still experiencing night.

So yes your storms would only be there at specific times when the day hits the continent again and another the other way when the day leaves the continent again because the surface of the continent will cool faster than the ocean and as such there will be a wind from the ocean towards the continent.

The mid days will probably be way to hot when not far enough from the equator. Also the nights will probably be to cold (without any source of heat) even at the equator.

Flora/Fauna effects:

Many plants could adapt to cycles where the open up in the sunlight and submerge them selves when the night hits to avoid getting ripped apart by the storm. After the storm they would probably resurface.

You said there are no mountain ranges to speak of but a thing which could happen as well is that behind hills in the wind shadow there will be a something like an oasis.

Because the storms would push all the soil in to the ocean except for hills and mountains as the storm cannot push through the hill soil will gobble up behind it and create something comparable to an oasis.

Civilization Effects

Because your day/night cycle is so long any civilizations will do one of two things depending on how your Continent is shaped:

  1. Your continent is completely reaches around the planet from east to west:

The things I said about storms do not come true as there is no sudden land mass that wasn't heated for a while and with out that there is no sudden temperature difference.

If the circumnavigation in possible far enough up north or far enough far south your civilization could be a large trek thats always walks with the beginning of the day or the end of it (in the middle it's very likely to hot) because in the night it would be to cold to be comfortable.

  1. Your continent does not reach around the planet from east to west:

The things i stated above about the storms and fauna become true and your civilization will probably live at the coast of the continent where the day comes by last.

Because one the storm (from a new day) will be the weakest there and when the night comes it will be the warmest near the ocean. During the day the civilization will look for shelter for the evening storm (when the day leaves the continent)

If your civilization has found a way to deal with the storm it could travel from the morning coast (where the day starts first on the continent) to the dawn coast and when the sun has faded they could travel back again. This of course depends on how far it is from one coast to the other if it is to far to complete it in less than 390 hours I would say the civilization would decide against this procedure.

Of course you could create a fast land animal which supports faster travel.

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  • $\begingroup$ Your first sentence is only true if you know that the star's nature, the distance from the star, and the atmospheric conditions are such to permit that assuption - which the OP hasn't provided. $\endgroup$
    – JBH
    Commented Dec 31, 2018 at 8:46
  • $\begingroup$ He states with 50° Celsius surface temperature by this you can clearly see that it is strongly affected by the sun as he states it is an earth like planet and an earth like planet does not possess enough own heat to get to this temperature which is why i know that the star has enough of an effect on the planet to get to this conclusion? Or could you tell me why this reasoning is false? $\endgroup$
    – Soan
    Commented Dec 31, 2018 at 8:51
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    $\begingroup$ A 50℃ surface temp could have come about due to a thick atmosphere, or too much volcanic soil in the desert, or volcanism, or a great many other things not explained by the OP. You should be asking the OP to clarify his question before making assumptions. (Earth-like planets are like Earth, not severe modifications of Earth.) $\endgroup$
    – JBH
    Commented Dec 31, 2018 at 8:54
  • $\begingroup$ @ JBH " (Earth-like planets are like Earth, not severe modifications of Earth.)" exactly and due to this there cannot be a significantly thicker atmosphere as the atmosphere would just fly of when so much thicker that 50° Celsius can be achieved without strong solar influence. $\endgroup$
    – Soan
    Commented Dec 31, 2018 at 9:00
  • $\begingroup$ Volcanoes could explain this but he also stated that the planet is similar in composition to earth which to me sounded like not to much continental movement going on. Especially when there are no mountains top speak of. $\endgroup$
    – Soan
    Commented Dec 31, 2018 at 9:03

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