Geography > Climate: Countries Compared
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COUNTRY |
DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| AfghanistanAfghanistan | arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers |
| AkrotiriAkrotiri | temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters |
| AlbaniaAlbania | mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter |
| AlgeriaAlgeria | 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 SamoaAmerican 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 |
| AndorraAndorra | temperate; snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers |
| AngolaAngola | semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April) |
| AnguillaAnguilla | tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds |
| AntarcticaAntarctica | 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 BarbudaAntigua and Barbuda | tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation |
| Arctic OceanArctic 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 |
| ArgentinaArgentina | mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest |
| ArmeniaArmenia | highland continental, hot summers, cold winters |
| ArubaAruba | tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation |
| Ashmore and Cartier IslandsAshmore+ | tropical |
| Atlantic OceanAtlantic 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 |
| AustraliaAustralia | generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north |
| AustriaAustria | temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers |
| AzerbaijanAzerbaijan | dry, semiarid steppe |
| BahrainBahrain | arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers |
| Baker IslandBaker Island | equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun |
| BangladeshBangladesh | tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October) |
| BarbadosBarbados | tropical; rainy season (June to October) |
| Bassas da IndiaBassas da India | tropical |
| BelarusBelarus | cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime |
| BelgiumBelgium | temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy |
| BelizeBelize | tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) |
| BeninBenin | tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north |
| BermudaBermuda | subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter |
| BhutanBhutan | varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas |
| BoliviaBolivia | varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid |
| Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina | hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast |
| BotswanaBotswana | semiarid; warm winters and hot summers |
| Bouvet IslandBouvet Island | antarctic |
| BrazilBrazil | mostly tropical, but temperate in south |
| British Indian Ocean TerritoryIndian Ocean | tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds |
| British Virgin IslandsBrit. Virgin Isl. | subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds |
| BruneiBrunei | tropical; hot, humid, rainy |
| BulgariaBulgaria | temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers |
| Burkina FasoBurkina Faso | tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers |
| BurmaBurma | 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) |
| BurundiBurundi | 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) |
| CambodiaCambodia | tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation |
| CameroonCameroon | varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north |
| CanadaCanada | varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north |
| Cape VerdeCape Verde | temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and erratic |
| Cayman IslandsCayman Islands | tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April) |
| Central African RepublicCentral Africa | tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers |
| ChadChad | tropical in south, desert in north |
| ChileChile | temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south |
| ChinaChina | extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north |
| Christmas IslandXmas Island | tropical with a wet season (December to April) and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds |
| Clipperton IslandClipperton | tropical; humid, average temperature 20-32 degrees C, wet season (May to October) |
| Cocos (Keeling) IslandsCocos Islands | tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year |
| ColombiaColombia | tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands |
| ComorosComoros | tropical marine; rainy season (November to May) |
| Congo, Republic of theCongo, 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 IslandsCook 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 IslandsCoral Sea | tropical |
| Costa RicaCosta Rica | tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands |
| Cote d'IvoireCote 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) |
| CroatiaCroatia | Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast |
| CubaCuba | tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October) |
| CyprusCyprus | temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters |
| Czech RepublicCzech Republic | temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters |
| Democratic Republic of the CongoCongo, DR. | 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) |
| DenmarkDenmark | temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers |
| DhekeliaDhekelia | temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters |
| DjiboutiDjibouti | desert; torrid, dry |
| DominicaDominica | tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall |
| Dominican RepublicDominican Rep. | tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall |
| East TimorEast Timor | tropical; hot, humid; distinct rainy and dry seasons |
| EcuadorEcuador | tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands |
| EgyptEgypt | desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters |
| El SalvadorEl Salvador | tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands |
| Equatorial GuineaEqu. Guinea | tropical; always hot, humid |
| EritreaEritrea | 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 |
| EstoniaEstonia | maritime; wet, moderate winters, cool summers |
| EthiopiaEthiopia | tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation |
| Europa IslandEuropa Island | tropical |
| European UnionEuropean Union | cold temperate; potentially subarctic in the north to temperate; mild wet winters; hot dry summers in the south |
| Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)Falklands | 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 IslandsFaroe Islands | mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy |
| Federated States of MicronesiaMicronesia | tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasionally severe damage |
| FijiFiji | tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation |
| FinlandFinland | cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes |
| FranceFrance | 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 GuianaFrench Guiana | tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation |
| French PolynesiaFr. Polynesia | tropical, but moderate |
| French Southern and Antarctic LandsFrench Antarctic+ | 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 |
| GabonGabon | tropical; always hot, humid |
| Gaza StripGaza Strip | temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers |
| GeorgiaGeorgia | warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast |
| GermanyGermany | temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind |
| GhanaGhana | tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north |
| GibraltarGibraltar | Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers |
| Glorioso IslandsGlorioso | tropical |
| GreeceGreece | temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers |
| GreenlandGreenland | arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters |
| GrenadaGrenada | tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds |
| GuadeloupeGuadeloupe | subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity |
| GuamGuam | 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 |
| GuatemalaGuatemala | tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands |
| GuernseyGuernsey | temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast |
| GuineaGuinea | generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds |
| Guinea-BissauGuinea-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 |
| GuyanaGuyana | tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to August, November to January) |
| HaitiHaiti | tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds |
| Heard Island and McDonald IslandsHeard Isl+ | antarctic |
| Holy See (Vatican City)Vatican City | temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to May) with hot, dry summers (May to September) |
| HondurasHonduras | subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains |
| Hong KongHong Kong | subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall |
| Howland IslandHowland Island | equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun |
| HungaryHungary | temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers |
| IcelandIceland | temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers |
| IndiaIndia | varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north |
| Indian OceanIndian 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 |
| IndonesiaIndonesia | tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands |
| IranIran | mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast |
| IraqIraq | 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 |
| IrelandIreland | temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time |
| Isle of ManIsle of Man | temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about a third of the time |
| IsraelIsrael | temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas |
| ItalyItaly | predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south |
| JamaicaJamaica | tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior |
| Jan MayenJan Mayen | arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog |
| JapanJapan | varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north |
| Jarvis IslandJarvis Island | tropical; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun |
| JerseyJersey | temperate; mild winters and cool summers |
| Johnston AtollJohnston Atoll | tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation |
| JordanJordan | mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April) |
| Juan de Nova IslandJuan de Nova | tropical |
| KazakhstanKazakhstan | continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid |
| KenyaKenya | varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior |
| Kingman ReefKingman Reef | tropical; moderated by prevailing winds |
| KiribatiKiribati | tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds |
| KosovoKosovo | 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 |
| KuwaitKuwait | dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters |
| KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan | dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan Mountains; subtropical in southwest (Fergana Valley); temperate in northern foothill zone |
| LaosLaos | tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) |
| LatviaLatvia | maritime; wet, moderate winters |
| LebanonLebanon | Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows |
| LesothoLesotho | temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers |
| LiberiaLiberia | tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers |
| LibyaLibya | Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior |
| LiechtensteinLiechtenstein | continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers |
| LithuaniaLithuania | transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers |
| LuxembourgLuxembourg | modified continental with mild winters, cool summers |
| MacauMacau | subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers |
| MadagascarMadagascar | tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south |
| MalawiMalawi | sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November) |
| MalaysiaMalaysia | tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons |
| MaldivesMaldives | tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August) |
| MaliMali | subtropical to arid; hot and dry (February to June); rainy, humid, and mild (June to November); cool and dry (November to February) |
| MaltaMalta | Mediterranean; mild, rainy winters; hot, dry summers |
| Marshall IslandsMarshall Isl. | tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November; islands border typhoon belt |
| MartiniqueMartinique | 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 |
| MauritaniaMauritania | desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty |
| MauritiusMauritius | tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May) |
| MayotteMayotte | tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November) |
| MexicoMexico | varies from tropical to desert |
| Midway IslandsMidway Islands | subtropical; moderated by prevailing easterly winds |
| MoldovaMoldova | moderate winters, warm summers |
| MonacoMonaco | Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers |
| MongoliaMongolia | desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges) |
| MontenegroMontenegro | Mediterranean climate, hot dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfalls inland |
| MontserratMontserrat | tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation |
| MoroccoMorocco | Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior |
| MozambiqueMozambique | tropical to subtropical |
| NamibiaNamibia | desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic |
| NauruNauru | tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February) |
| Navassa IslandNavassa Island | marine, tropical |
| NepalNepal | varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south |
| NetherlandsNetherlands | temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters |
| Netherlands AntillesN. Antilles | tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds |
| New CaledoniaNew Caledonia | tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid |
| New ZealandNew Zealand | temperate with sharp regional contrasts |
| NicaraguaNicaragua | tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands |
| NigerNiger | desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south |
| NigeriaNigeria | varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north |
| NiueNiue | tropical; modified by southeast trade winds |
| Norfolk IslandNorfolk Island | subtropical; mild, little seasonal temperature variation |
| North KoreaNorth Korea | temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer |
| Northern Mariana IslandsN. Mariana | tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to June, rainy season July to October |
| NorwayNorway | temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior with increased precipitation and colder summers; rainy year-round on west coast |
| OmanOman | dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south |
| Pacific OceanPacific 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 |
| PakistanPakistan | mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north |
| PalauPalau | tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November |
| Palmyra AtollPalmyra Atoll | equatorial, hot, and very rainy |
| PanamaPanama | tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May) |
| Papua New GuineaPapua NG | tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation |
| Paracel IslandsParacel Islands | tropical |
| ParaguayParaguay | subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west |
| PeruPeru | varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes |
| PhilippinesPhilippines | tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October) |
| Pitcairn IslandsPitcarn | tropical; hot and humid; modified by southeast trade winds; rainy season (November to March) |
| PolandPoland | temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers |
| PortugalPortugal | maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south |
| Puerto RicoPuerto Rico | tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation |
| QatarQatar | arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers |
| Republic of MacedoniaMacedonia Rep. | warm, dry summers and autumns; relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall |
| ReunionReunion | tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April) |
| RomaniaRomania | temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms |
| RussiaRussia | 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 |
| RwandaRwanda | temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible |
| Saint BarthelemySt Barthelemy | tropical, with practically no variation in temperature; has two seasons (dry and humid) |
| Saint HelenaSaint Helena | Saint Helena - tropical; marine; mild, tempered by trade winds; Tristan da Cunha - temperate; marine, mild, tempered by trade winds (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena) |
| Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da CunhaSaint 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 NevisSt Kitts+ | tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November) |
| Saint LuciaSaint Lucia | tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August |
| Saint MartinSaint Martin | temperature averages 80-85 degrees all year long; low humidity, gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers; hurricane season stretches from July to November |
| Saint Pierre and MiquelonSt Pierre+ | cold and wet, with considerable mist and fog; spring and autumn are often windy |
| Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesSt Vincent+ | tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November) |
| SamoaSamoa | tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October) |
| San MarinoSan Marino | Mediterranean; mild to cool winters; warm, sunny summers |
| Sao Tome and PrincipeSoa Tome+ | tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May) |
| Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia | harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes |
| SenegalSenegal | tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind |
| SerbiaSerbia | 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) |
| Serbia and MontenegroSerbia+ | 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) |
| SeychellesSeychelles | tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May) |
| Sierra LeoneSierra Leone | tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April) |
| SingaporeSingapore | 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 |
| SlovakiaSlovakia | temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters |
| SloveniaSlovenia | Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east |
| Solomon IslandsSolomon Islands | tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather |
| SomaliaSomalia | 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 AfricaSouth Africa | mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights |
| South Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth Georgia+ | variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow |
| South KoreaSouth Korea | temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter |
| South SudanSouth 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 OceanSouthern 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 |
| SpainSpain | temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast |
| Spratly IslandsSpratly Islands | tropical |
| Sri LankaSri Lanka | tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October) |
| SudanSudan | hot and dry; arid desert; rainy season varies by region (April to November) |
| SurinameSuriname | tropical; moderated by trade winds |
| SvalbardSvalbard | 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 |
| SwazilandSwaziland | varies from tropical to near temperate |
| SwedenSweden | temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north |
| SwitzerlandSwitzerland | temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers |
| SyriaSyria | 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 |
| TaiwanTaiwan | tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year |
| TajikistanTajikistan | midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains |
| TanzaniaTanzania | varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands |
| ThailandThailand | tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid |
| The BahamasThe Bahamas | tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream |
| The GambiaThe Gambia | tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May) |
| TogoTogo | tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north |
| TokelauTokelau | tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November) |
| TongaTonga | tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December) |
| Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad+ | tropical; rainy season (June to December) |
| Tromelin IslandTromelin Island | tropical |
| TunisiaTunisia | temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south |
| TurkeyTurkey | temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior |
| TurkmenistanTurkmenistan | subtropical desert |
| Turks and Caicos IslandsTurks+ | tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry |
| TuvaluTuvalu | tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March) |
| UgandaUganda | tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast |
| UkraineUkraine | 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 EmiratesUAE | desert; cooler in eastern mountains |
| United KingdomUnited Kingdom | temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast |
| United StatesUnited 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 |
| UruguayUruguay | warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown |
| UzbekistanUzbekistan | mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east |
| VanuatuVanuatu | 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 |
| VenezuelaVenezuela | tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands |
| VietnamVietnam | tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March) |
| Virgin IslandsVirgin Islands | subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season September to November |
| Wake IslandWake Island | tropical |
| Wallis and FutunaWallis+ | 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 BankWest Bank | temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters |
| Western SaharaWestern Sahara | hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew |
| YemenYemen | mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east |
| ZambiaZambia | tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April) |
| ZimbabweZimbabwe | tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March) |
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Posted on 29 May 2005
Ian Graham, Staff Editor
