Climate

This entry includes a brief description of typical weather regimes throughout the year; in the World entry only, it includes four subfields that describe climate extremes:

ten driest places on earth (average annual precipitation) describes the annual average precipitation measured in both millimeters and inches for selected countries with climate extremes.

ten wettest places on earth (average annual precipitation) describes the annual average precipitation measured in both millimeters and inches for selected countries with climate extremes.

ten coldest places on earth (lowest average monthly temperature) describes temperature measured in both degrees Celsius and Fahrenheit, as well as the month of the year for selected countries with climate extremes.

ten hottest places on earth (highest average monthly temperature) describes the temperature measured both in degrees Celsius and Fahrenheit, as well the month of the year for selected countries with climate extremes.

Afghanistan

arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

Akrotiri and Dhekelia

temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters

Albania

mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter

Algeria

arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau; sirocco is a hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer

American Samoa

tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages about 3 m; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October); little seasonal temperature variation

Andorra

temperate; snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers

Angola

semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)

Anguilla

tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds

Antarctica

the coldest, windiest, and driest continent on Earth; severe low temperatures vary with latitude, elevation, and distance from the ocean; East Antarctica is colder than West Antarctica because of its higher elevation; Antarctic Peninsula has the most moderate climate; higher temperatures occur in January along the coast and average slightly below freezing; summers characterized by continuous daylight, while winters bring continuous darkness; persistent high pressure over the interior brings dry, subsiding air that results in very little cloud cover

Antigua and Barbuda

tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation

Arctic Ocean

polar climate characterized by persistent cold and relatively narrow annual temperature range; winters characterized by continuous darkness, cold and stable weather conditions, and clear skies; summers characterized by continuous daylight, damp and foggy weather, and weak cyclones with rain or snow

Argentina

mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest

Armenia

highland continental, hot summers, cold winters

Aruba

tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Ashmore and Cartier Islands

tropical

Atlantic Ocean

tropical cyclones (hurricanes) develop off the coast of Africa near Cabo Verde and move westward into the Caribbean Sea; hurricanes can occur from May to December but are most frequent from August to November

Australia

generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north

Austria

temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers

Azerbaijan

dry, semiarid steppe

Bahamas, The

tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream

Bahrain

arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers

Bangladesh

tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)

Barbados

tropical; rainy season (June to October)

Belarus

cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime

Belgium

temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy

Belize

tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)

Benin

tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Bermuda

subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter

Bhutan

varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas

Bolivia

varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid

Bosnia and Herzegovina

hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast

Botswana

semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

Bouvet Island

antarctic

Brazil

mostly tropical, but temperate in south

British Indian Ocean Territory

tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds

British Virgin Islands

subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds

Brunei

tropical; hot, humid, rainy

Bulgaria

temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers

Burkina Faso

three climate zones including a hot tropical savanna with a short rainy season in the southern half, a tropical hot semi-arid steppe climate typical of the Sahel region in the northern half, and small area of hot desert in the very north of the country bordering the Sahara Desert

Burma

tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon, December to April)

Burundi

equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m to 2,670 m above sea level); average annual temperature varies with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees Celsius but is generally moderate; average annual rainfall is about 150 cm with two wet seasons (February to May and September to November) and two dry seasons (June to August and December to January)

Cabo Verde

temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and erratic

Cambodia

tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation

Cameroon

varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north

Canada

varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north

Cayman Islands

tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April)

Central African Republic

tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers

Chad

tropical in south, desert in north

Chile

temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south

China

extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north

Christmas Island

tropical with a wet season (December to April) and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds

Clipperton Island

tropical; humid, average temperature 20-32 degrees Celsius, wet season (May to October)

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year

Colombia

tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands

Comoros

tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the

tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of Equator - wet season (April to October), dry season (December to February); south of Equator - wet season (November to March), dry season (April to October)

Congo, Republic of the

tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); persistent high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator

Cook Islands

tropical oceanic; moderated by trade winds; a dry season from April to November and a more humid season from December to March

Coral Sea Islands

tropical

Costa Rica

tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands

Cote d'Ivoire

tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three seasons - warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet (June to October)

Croatia

Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast

Cuba

tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)

Curacao

tropical marine climate, ameliorated by northeast trade winds, results in mild temperatures; semiarid with average rainfall of 60 cm/year

Cyprus

temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters

Czechia

temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters

Denmark

temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers

Djibouti

desert; torrid, dry

Dominica

tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall

Dominican Republic

tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall

Ecuador

tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands

Egypt

desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters

El Salvador

tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands

Equatorial Guinea

tropical; always hot, humid

Eritrea

hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest June to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands

Estonia

maritime; wet, moderate winters, cool summers

Eswatini

varies from tropical to near temperate

Ethiopia

tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation

European Union

cold temperate; potentially subarctic in the north to temperate; mild wet winters; hot dry summers in the south

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of days in year; average annual rainfall is 60 cm in Stanley; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but typically does not accumulate

Faroe Islands

mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy

Fiji

tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation

Finland

cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes

France

metropolitan France: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as the mistral

French Guiana: tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation

Guadeloupe and Martinique: subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average

Mayotte: tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November)

Reunion: tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)

French Polynesia

tropical, but moderate

French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul: oceanic with persistent westerly winds and high humidity;

Iles Crozet: windy, cold, wet, and cloudy;

Iles Kerguelen: oceanic, cold, overcast, windy;

Iles Eparses: tropical

Gabon

tropical; always hot, humid

Gambia, The

tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May)

Gaza Strip

temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers

Georgia

warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast

Germany

temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind

Ghana

tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north

Gibraltar

Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers

Greece

temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers

Greenland

arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters

Grenada

tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds

Guam

tropical marine; generally warm and humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season (January to June), rainy season (July to December); little seasonal temperature variation

Guatemala

tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands

Guernsey

temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast

Guinea

generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

Guinea-Bissau

tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

Guyana

tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to August, November to January)

Haiti

tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds

Heard Island and McDonald Islands

antarctic

Holy See (Vatican City)

temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to May) with hot, dry summers (May to September)

Honduras

subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

Hong Kong

subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall

Hungary

temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers

Iceland

temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers

India

varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north

Indian Ocean

northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June to October); tropical cyclones occur during May/June and October/November in the northern Indian Ocean and January/February in the southern Indian Ocean

Indonesia

tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Iran

mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast

Iraq

mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in central and southern Iraq

Ireland

temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time

Isle of Man

temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about a third of the time

Israel

temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas

Italy

predominantly Mediterranean; alpine in far north; hot, dry in south

Jamaica

tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Jan Mayen

arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog

Japan

varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north

Jersey

temperate; mild winters and cool summers

Jordan

mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)

Kazakhstan

continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid

Kenya

varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior

Kiribati

tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds

Korea, North

temperate, with rainfall concentrated in summer; long, bitter winters

Korea, South

temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter; cold winters

Kosovo

influenced by continental air masses resulting in relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns; Mediterranean and alpine influences create regional variation; maximum rainfall between October and December

Kuwait

dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters

Kyrgyzstan

dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan Mountains; subtropical in southwest (Fergana Valley); temperate in northern foothill zone

Laos

tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)

Latvia

maritime; wet, moderate winters

Lebanon

Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; the Lebanon Mountains experience heavy winter snows

Lesotho

temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers

Liberia

tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers

Libya

Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior

Liechtenstein

continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers

Lithuania

transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers

Luxembourg

modified continental with mild winters, cool summers

Macau

subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers

Madagascar

tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south

Malawi

sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)

Malaysia

tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons

Maldives

tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)

Mali

subtropical to arid; hot and dry (February to June); rainy, humid, and mild (June to November); cool and dry (November to February)

Malta

Mediterranean; mild, rainy winters; hot, dry summers

Marshall Islands

tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November; islands border typhoon belt

Mauritania

desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty

Mauritius

tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)

Mexico

varies from tropical to desert

Micronesia, Federated States of

tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasionally severe damage

Moldova

moderate winters, warm summers

Monaco

Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers

Mongolia

desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges)

Montenegro

Mediterranean climate, hot dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfalls inland

Montserrat

tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation

Morocco

Mediterranean in the north, becoming more extreme in the interior; in the south, hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew

note: data does not include former Western Sahara

Mozambique

tropical to subtropical

Namibia

desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic

Nauru

tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February)

Navassa Island

marine, tropical

Nepal

varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south

Netherlands

temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

New Caledonia

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

New Zealand

temperate with sharp regional contrasts

Nicaragua

tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands

Niger

desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south

Nigeria

varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north

Niue

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds

Norfolk Island

subtropical; mild, little seasonal temperature variation

North Macedonia

warm, dry summers and autumns; relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall

Northern Mariana Islands

tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to June, rainy season July to October

Norway

temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior with increased precipitation and colder summers; rainy year-round on west coast

Oman

dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south

Pacific Ocean

planetary air pressure systems and resultant wind patterns exhibit remarkable uniformity in the south and east; trade winds and westerly winds are well-developed patterns, modified by seasonal fluctuations; tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico from June to October and affect Mexico and Central America; continental influences cause climatic uniformity to be much less pronounced in the eastern and western regions at the same latitude in the North Pacific Ocean; the western Pacific is monsoonal - a rainy season occurs during the summer months, when moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a dry season during the winter months, when dry winds blow from the Asian landmass back to the ocean; tropical cyclones (typhoons) may strike southeast and east Asia from May to December

Pakistan

mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north

Palau

tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November

Panama

tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)

Papua New Guinea

tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation

Paracel Islands

tropical

Paraguay

subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west

Peru

varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes

Philippines

tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)

Pitcairn Islands

tropical; hot and humid; modified by southeast trade winds; rainy season (November to March)

Poland

temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers

Portugal

maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south

Puerto Rico

tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation

Qatar

arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers

Romania

temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms

Russia

ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast

Rwanda

temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible

Saint Barthelemy

tropical, with practically no variation in temperature; has two seasons (dry and humid)

Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha

Saint Helena: tropical marine; mild, tempered by trade winds;

Ascension Island: tropical marine; mild, semi-arid;

Tristan da Cunha: temperate marine; mild, tempered by trade winds (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena)

Saint Kitts and Nevis

tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

Saint Lucia

tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August

Saint Martin

temperature averages 27-29 degrees Celsius all year long; low humidity, gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers; hurricane season stretches from July to November

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

cold and wet, with considerable mist and fog; spring and autumn are often windy

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

Samoa

tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October)

San Marino

Mediterranean; mild to cool winters; warm, sunny summers

Sao Tome and Principe

tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)

Saudi Arabia

harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes

Senegal

tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind

Serbia

in the north, continental climate (cold winters and hot, humid summers with well-distributed rainfall); in other parts, continental and Mediterranean climate (relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns)

Seychelles

tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)

Sierra Leone

tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)

Singapore

tropical; hot, humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons - northeastern monsoon (December to March) and southwestern monsoon (June to September); inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon and early evening thunderstorms

Sint Maarten

tropical marine climate, ameliorated by northeast trade winds, results in moderate temperatures; average rainfall of 150 cm/year; hurricane season stretches from July to November

Slovakia

temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters

Slovenia

Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east

Solomon Islands

tropical monsoon; few temperature and weather extremes

Somalia

principally desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), moderate temperatures in north and hot in south; southwest monsoon (May to October), torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons

South Africa

mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights

South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands

variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow

South Sudan

hot with seasonal rainfall influenced by the annual shift of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone; rainfall heaviest in upland areas of the south and diminishes to the north

Southern Ocean

sea temperatures vary from about 10 degrees Celsius to -2 degrees Celsius; cyclonic storms travel eastward around the continent and frequently are intense because of the temperature contrast between ice and open ocean; the ocean area from about latitude 40 south to the Antarctic Circle has the strongest average winds found anywhere on Earth; in winter the ocean freezes outward to 65 degrees south latitude in the Pacific sector and 55 degrees south latitude in the Atlantic sector, lowering surface temperatures well below 0 degrees Celsius; at some coastal points intense persistent drainage winds from the interior keep the shoreline ice-free throughout the winter

Spain

temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast

Spratly Islands

tropical

Sri Lanka

tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)

Sudan

hot and dry; arid desert; rainy season varies by region (April to November)

Suriname

tropical; moderated by trade winds

Svalbard

arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year

Sweden

temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north

Switzerland

temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers

Syria

mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast; cold weather with snow or sleet periodically in Damascus

Taiwan

tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); persistent and extensive cloudiness all year

Tajikistan

mid-latitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains

Tanzania

varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands

Thailand

tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid

Timor-Leste

tropical; hot, humid; distinct rainy and dry seasons

Togo

tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Tokelau

tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November)

Tonga

tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)

Trinidad and Tobago

tropical; rainy season (June to December)

Tunisia

temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south

Turkey (Turkiye)

temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior

Turkmenistan

subtropical desert

Turks and Caicos Islands

tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry

Tuvalu

tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)

Uganda

tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast

Ukraine

temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; warm summers across the greater part of the country, hot in the south

United Arab Emirates

desert; cooler in eastern mountains

United Kingdom

temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast

United States

mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains

note: many consider Denali, the highest peak in the US, to be the world’s coldest mountain because of its combination of high elevation and its subarctic location at 63 degrees north latitude; permanent snow and ice cover over 75 percent of the mountain, and enormous glaciers, up to 45 miles long and 3,700 feet thick, spider out from its base in every direction; it is home to some of the world’s coldest and most violent weather, where winds of over 150 miles per hour and temperatures of -93˚F have been recorded.

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges

Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun;

Johnston Atoll and Kingman Reef: tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation;

Midway Islands: subtropical with cool, moist winters (December to February) and warm, dry summers (May to October); moderated by prevailing easterly winds; most of the 107 cm of annual rainfall occurs during the winter;

Palmyra Atoll: equatorial, hot; located within the low pressure area of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) where the northeast and southeast trade winds meet, it is extremely wet with between 400-500 cm of rainfall each year

Uruguay

warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown

Uzbekistan

mostly mid-latitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east

Vanuatu

tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds from May to October; moderate rainfall from November to April; may be affected by cyclones from December to April

Venezuela

tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Vietnam

tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March)

Virgin Islands

subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season September to November

Wake Island

tropical

Wallis and Futuna

tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April); cool, dry season (May to October); rains 250-300 cm per year (80% humidity); average temperature 26.6 degrees Celsius

West Bank

temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters

World

a wide equatorial band of hot and humid tropical climates is bordered north and south by subtropical temperate zones that separate two large areas of cold and dry polar climates

ten driest places on Earth (average annual precipitation): McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica 0 mm (0 in)
Arica, Chile 0.76 mm (0.03 in)
Al Kufrah, Libya 0.86 mm (0.03 in)
Aswan, Egypt 0.86 mm (0.03 in)
Luxor, Egypt 0.86 mm (0.03 in)
Ica, Peru 2.29 mm (0.09 in)
Wadi Halfa, Sudan 2.45 mm (0.1 in)
Iquique, Chile 5.08 mm (0.2 in)
Pelican Point, Namibia 8.13 mm (0.32 in)
El Arab (Aoulef), Algeria 12.19 mm (0.48 in)

ten wettest places on Earth (average annual precipitation): Mawsynram, India 11,871 mm (467.4 in)
Cherrapunji, India 11,777 mm (463.7 in)
Tutunendo, Colombia 11,770 mm (463.4 in)
Cropp River, New Zealand 11,516 mm (453.4 in)
San Antonia de Ureca, Equatorial Guinea 10,450 mm (411.4 in)
Debundsha, Cameroon 10,299 mm (405.5 in)
Big Bog, US (Hawaii) 10,272 mm (404.4 in)
Mt Waialeale, US (Hawaii) 9,763 mm (384.4 in)
Kukui, US (Hawaii) 9,293 mm (365.9 in)
Emeishan, China 8,169 mm (321.6 in)

ten coldest places on Earth (lowest average monthly temperature): Verkhoyansk, Russia (Siberia) -47°C (-53°F) January
Oymyakon, Russia (Siberia) -46°C (-52°F) January
Eureka, Canada -38.4°C (-37.1°F) February
Isachsen, Canada -36°C (-32.8°F) February
Alert, Canada -34°C (-28°F) February
Kap Morris Jesup, Greenland -34°C (-29°F) March
Cornwallis Island, Canada -33.5°C (-28.3°F) February
Cambridge Bay, Canada -33.5°C (28.3°F) February
Ilirnej, Russia -33°C (-28°F) January
Resolute, Canada -33°C (-27.4°F) February

ten hottest places on Earth (highest average monthly temperature): Death Valley, US (California) 39°C (101°F) July
Iranshahr, Iran 38.3°C (100.9°F) June
Ouallene, Algeria 38°C (100.4°F) July
Kuwait City, Kuwait 37.7°C (100°F) July
Medina, Saudi Arabia 36°C (97°F) July
Buckeye, US (Arizona) 34°C (93°F) July
Jazan, Saudi Arabia 33°C (91°F) June
Al Kufrah, Libya 31°C (87°F) July
Alice Springs, Australia 29°C (84°F) January
Tamanrasset, Algeria 29°C (84°F) June