CLASSIFICATION OF TROPICAL

CLIMATES

Climatic zones

Tropical climates

Warm humid climates

Warm humid island climate

Hot dry desert climate

Hot dry maritime desert climate

Composite or monsoon climate

Tropical upland climate
 Warm Humid Warm Humid Hot dry Hot dry Composite or Tropical
climate Island desert maritime Monsoon Upland
climate climate desert climate climate
climate

Air
Temperature
Mean Max: b/w warm
Mean Min: 27-32C 29-32C 43-49C 38C humid and hot 24-30C
18-24C 18-24C 27-32C 24-30C dry climate 10-13C

Humidity 20-55% (Dry

RH: 75% 55-100% 10-55% 50-90% Period), 45-99%
55-95%(Wet
Period)
Vapor 2500-000 1750-2500 750-1500 500-2500 1300-1600 800-1600
Pressure: N/sq.m N/sq.m N/sq.m N/sq.m N/sq.m N/sq.m

Precipitation High High Slight and Very low Intense and Variable
variable prolonged
Annual
Rainfall 2000-5000 1250-1800 50-155 500-1300 1000mm
mm/annum mm/annum mm/annum mm/annum
500 200-250 200-250
mm/month mm/month mm in the
wettest
month.
Sky Fairly cloudy Normally Normally Little more Monsoon: Dull Clear and
Conditions clear clear cloudy Dry season: partly
clear with dark cloudy
blue color

Solar Strong and Strong and Direct and Strong Alternates Direct and
Radiation diffuse. mainly direct strong between strong
cause painful warm
sky glare humid and Hot
dry desert
climates.
Winds Strong winds Higher Local whirl Local, Monsoon Winds are
occur during velocities winds are coastal winds variable
Rain squalls Occur often winds are fairly drastically
during created caused strong deflected
cyclones by unequal and steady by local
heating and bring rain topography.
cooling of clouds
land and and humid
sea air.
surfaces.
Vegetation Grows Less Sparse Sparse Sparse Green
quickly. luxuriant. Soils dry The ground The soil is The soil is
The red or Soil is often quickly and rocks damp during damp during
brown late dry with a after rain are brown the rains but it the rains but it
rite soils. fairly low and the or red. dries out dries out
Subsoil water table subsoil quickly. quickly
water table water table
is high is very
low.
Special High Tropical During Dust and Dust and sand Thunder
Characteri humidity cyclones or certain sand storms may storms with a
stics accelerates hurricanes months storms occur. fair proportion
mould and with wind dust and may occur. of electrical
algal velocities sand discharges air
growth, from 45 to storms to ground. Hail
rusting and 70 m/s may be may occur.
rotting. which frequent.
The thunder constitute a
storms are serious
accompanie seasonal
d by changes.
frequent air
to air
electrical
discharges.