Locations of tropical climates, with subtypes.

  Af—Tropical rainforest climate.

  Am—Tropical monsoon climate.

  Aw—Tropical savanna climate.

Beach in Naples, Florida lined with coconut trees is an example of a tropical climate. Although it lies in the subtropics over a hundred miles north of the tropic of cancer, the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico give it a monthly mean temperature never under 18 °C (64 °F), classifying its climate as tropical.

Intertropical Convergence Zone vertical velocity at 500 hPa, July average in units of pascals per second. Ascent (negative values) is concentrated close to the solar equator; descent (positive values) is more diffuse.

A tropical climate is a climate of the tropics. In the Köppen climate classification it is a non-arid climate in which all twelve months have mean temperatures above 18 °C (64 °F). Unlike the extra-tropics, where there are strong variations in day length and temperature, with season, tropical temperature remains relatively constant throughout the year and seasonal variations are dominated by precipitation.

Subtypes[link]

Within the tropical climate zone there are distinct varieties based on precipitation:

• Tropical rainforest climate (Af):^[1] All twelve months have average precipitation of at least 60 mm (2.4 in). These climates usually occur within 5–10° latitude of the equator. In some eastern-coast areas, they may extend to as much as 25° away from the equator. This climate is dominated by the Doldrums Low Pressure System all year round, and therefore has no natural seasons.
• Tropical monsoon climate (Am):^[1] This type of climate, most common in South and Central America, results from the monsoon winds which change direction according to the seasons. This climate has a driest month (which nearly always occurs at or soon after the "winter" solstice for that side of the equator) with rainfall less than 60 mm, but more than (100 − [total annual precipitation {mm}/25]).
• Tropical wet and dry or savanna climate (Aw):^[1] These climates generally have a pronounced dry season, with the driest month having precipitation less than 60 mm and also less than (100 − [total annual precipitation {mm}/25]).
  • Examples:
    • Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
    • Jakarta, Indonesia
    • Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    • Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico
    • Port-au-Prince, Haiti
    • Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
    • Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria
    • Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
    • Naples, Florida, United States
    • Honolulu, Hawaii, United States^[2]

Note that, in this scheme, many places within the tropics do not have a tropical climate: for example, the Sahara desert. Mountaintops within the tropics, e.g. Mount Kenya, can be cold.

Intertropical Convergence Zone[link]

Because of the effect of sun angle on climate most areas within the tropics are hot year-round, with diurnal variations in temperature exceeding seasonal variations. Seasonal variations in tropical climate are dominated by changes in precipitation, which are in turn largely influenced by the tropical rain belt or Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), a portion of the Hadley cell. The ITCZ is shown, for July average, in the graphic. Areas of ascending air have heavy rainfall; areas of descending air are dry. The ITCZ somewhat follows the solar equator throughout the year, but with geographical variations, and in some areas (India) is heavily influenced by local large-scale monsoons.

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tropical climate

External links[link]

v t e Seasons Temperate seasons Spring · Summer · Autumn · Winter Science portal Tropical climate seasons Wet season · Dry season Specific Fog season · Hurricane season · Monsoon season