CIA - The World Factbook -- Field Listing - Climate

| Field Listing - Climate
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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
Baker Island | equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
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)
Bassas da India | tropical
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 very 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 and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds; wet season (December to April)
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; moderated by trade winds
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)
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
East Timor | tropical; hot, humid; distinct rainy and dry seasons
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
Europa Island | tropical
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 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 | 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
French Polynesia | tropical, but moderate
French Southern and Antarctic Lands | antarctic
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
Glorioso Islands | tropical
Greece | temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
Greenland | arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters
Grenada | tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds
Guadeloupe | subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity
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
Howland Island | equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
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 one-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
Jarvis Island | tropical; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
Jersey | temperate; mild winters and cool summers
Johnston Atoll | tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation
Jordan | mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)
Juan de Nova Island | tropical
Kazakhstan | continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid
Kenya | varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior
Kingman Reef | tropical; moderated by prevailing winds
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
Kuwait | dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
Kyrgyzstan | dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan; 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
Martinique | tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average; average temperature 17.3 degrees C; humid
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)
Mayotte | tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November)
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
Midway Islands | subtropical; moderated by prevailing easterly winds
Moldova | moderate winters, warm summers
Monaco | Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers
Mongolia | desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges)
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
Netherlands Antilles | tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds
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
Palmyra Atoll | equatorial, hot, and very rainy
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
Reunion | tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)
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 Helena | 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 Pierre and Miquelon | cold and wet, with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are 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 and Montenegro | in the north, continental climate (cold winters and hot, humid summers with well distributed rainfall); central portion, continental and Mediterranean climate; to the south, Adriatic climate along the coast, hot, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall inland
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
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 very 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 the South Sandwich Islands | variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow
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 | tropical in south; arid desert in north; 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
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)
Tromelin Island | tropical
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 | two large areas of polar climates separated by two rather narrow temperate zones form a wide equatorial band of tropical to subtropical 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)
This page was last updated on 29 March, 2006