Tempo vs. clima
In Italian, both tempo and clima can refer to weather, but they are used in slightly different contexts.
Tempo
A1Tempo refers to the day-to-day weather conditions or the current state of the atmosphere.
Che tempo fa oggi?
(What's the weather like today?)
Il tempo è bello questa settimana.
(The weather is nice this week.)
Le previsioni del tempo indicano pioggia per domani.
(The weather forecast indicates rain for tomorrow.)
Clima
B1Clima refers to the long-term, average weather conditions in a specific area or region.
L'Italia ha un clima mediterraneo.
(Italy has a Mediterranean climate.)
Il clima tropicale è caratterizzato da temperature elevate tutto l'anno.
(Tropical climate is characterized by high temperatures all year round.)
I cambiamenti climatici stanno influenzando il clima globale.
(Climate change is affecting the global climate.)
Summary
While tempo is used for current or short-term weather conditions, clima refers to the overall, long-term weather patterns of a region. Use tempo for daily weather discussions and forecasts, and clima when talking about general weather characteristics of an area over time.