Tropical Wet-Dry Weather Climate
By: RJ Suey
Location
The majority of this climate is located below the equator. The highest north it can be found is in mexico around the Tropic of Cancer. The farthest south is in Brazil and it reaches the Tropic of Capricorn. The nearby climate regions are usually Tropical Wet.
Precipitation
The change in precipitation is what gives this climate type is name. Precipitation only falls during the summer months, usually from May-August with June and July having the heaviest rain. The whole dry season usually has less than 4 inches of rain. During the wet season, at least 25 inches will fall. Some areas of Tropical Wet and Dry in the path of monsoon winds can receive incredible amounts of rain. Cherrapunji, India once received over 1,000 inches of rain in a year! Northern Madagascar has the record for rain in one day--71 inches! Mawsynram, India is known as the "wettest place on earth" because they average 467 inches of rain per year. These incredible rainfall records are due to seasonal winds called monsoon, which bring dangerous amounts of rain.
Seasons
There are only 2 seasons: wet season (summer) and dry season (winter). Usually the dry season is longer. During the dry seasons plant life and animal life suffers, but as the rainy season begins life flourishes in this area. This climate is caused by changing wind and ocean currents.
Temperature
During the wet season, temperatures average about 77 degrees. During the dry season, temperatures average about 68 degrees. The temperatures stay high throughout the year because of the latitude where this climate occurs. The slight difference in temperature is enough to change the wind patterns and keep this area dry for much of the year, until the winds shift and the rainy season begins.
What Effects Climate
The main factor for climate is its proximity to the equator. There are other factors however, on includes the wind belts surrounding it, another is oceans and seas.