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- Definitions and Notes
- Guide to Country Profiles
- Guide to Country Comparisons
Appendices

Field Listing :: Climate

This entry includes a brief description of typical weather regimes throughout the year.

Country	Climate


Afghanistan	arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers


Akrotiri	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	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


Antigua and Barbuda	tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation


Arctic Ocean	polar climate characterized by persistent cold and relatively narrow annual temperature ranges; 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 Cape 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	tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers


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 centigrade but is generally moderate as the average altitude is about 1,700 m; average annual rainfall is about 150 cm; two wet seasons (February to May and September to November), and two dry seasons (June to August and December to January)


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


Cape Verde	temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and erratic


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 C, 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; semi-arid with average rainfall of 600 mm/year


Cyprus	temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters


Czech Republic	temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters


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


Dhekelia	temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters


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


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 24 inches 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 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


Korea, South	temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter


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; 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


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


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, becoming more extreme in the interior


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


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 80-85 degrees all year long; low humidity, gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers; July-November is the hurricane season


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 1500 mm/year; July-November is the hurricane season


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 extremes of temperature and weather


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 is heaviest in the 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


Swaziland	varies from tropical to near temperate


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); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year


Tajikistan	midlatitude 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	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; summers are warm 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

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 1,067 mm (42 in) 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 4,000-5,000 mm (160-200 in) of rainfall each year


Uruguay	warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown


Uzbekistan	mostly midlatitude 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 2,500-3,000 mm per year (80% humidity); average temperature 26.6 degrees C


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


Western Sahara	hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew


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


Yemen	mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east


Zambia	tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)


Zimbabwe	tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)

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