What Is A Temperate Climate?
A temperate climate is one of the five types of climate according to the Koppen Climate Classification. It is defined as having at least one month with an average temperature of 18 °C (64 °F) or lower, one month with an average temperature of above 10 °C (50°F), and no month with an average temperature below freezing. It also has a moderate or high amount of precipitation.
The other four types of climate besides temperate (C) are tropical, dry, continental and polar. A tropical climate (A) has no month where the average temperature is below 18 °C (64°F). A Polar climate (E) has no month with an average temperature of above 10 °C (50°F). A dry climate fails to reach a specific amount of precipitation, and this amount varies based on temperature. If a place does reach the required amount of precipitation to avoid being considered dry, and has at least one month where the average temperature is both above 10 °C (50°F) and below 18 °C (64°F), it is either temperate or continental (D). If there is a month where the average temperature is below freezing, it is continental. Otherwise, it is temperate.
While warm to moderate temperatures and moderate to high amounts of precipitation are all needed traits of temperate climates, there are many things that are common to this type of climate, but are not needed to gain the classification. Two of these are the concept of leaves changing colour in the fall, and having drastic distinctions between the four seasons. Another is an increase in extreme storms, including thunderstorms and tornadoes. These traits are also common in continental climates as well.
What Are The Subcategories Of Temperate Climate?
There are two other spaces to be filled in a temperate climate. The first refers to when precipitation takes place, and the second to how hot the summers get.
The possible precipitation-related ones are dry summer, dry winter, and having no dry season. The ones about summer temperatures are hot summer, warm summer and cold summer. It should be noted that in this instance, winter refers to the months of October – March, and summer refers to April – September.
What Is A Dry Summer?
In a dry summer (s) climate, the wettest month of winter will receive at least triple the amount of precipitation as the driest month of summer. Furthermore, the driest month of summer will receive less than 40 mm of precipitation. It should be noted that, as with all things on the Koppen Climate Classification, these numbers are averages over long periods of time.
What Is A Dry Winter?
A dry winter (w) is one where the wettest month of summer has at least ten times as much precipitation as the driest month of summer.
What Does It Mean To Have No Dry Season?
Having no dry season (f) refers to neither the conditions of dry summer (s) nor dry winter (w) being true.
What Is A Hot Summer?
A hot summer (a) refers to any place with a continental climate where there is at least one month where the average temperature is above 22 °C (72°F).
What Is A Warm Summer?
A warm summer (b) is any place where there are at least four months with an average temperature above 10 °C (50°F), but no month with an average temperature above 22 °C (72°F).
What Is A Cold Summer?
A cold summer (c) refers to any place where there are only 1-3 months with an average temperature of above 10 °C (50°F), and no place with an average temperature above 22 °C (72°F).
Does Any Place In Canada Have A Temperate Climate?
Yes, there are a few cities in Canada that have a temperate climate. Nanaimo, Victoria, Vancouver and Yarmouth all have temperate climates.
Where Else Is There A Temperate Climate?
Here are some of the largest cities in the world under each category of continental climate:
Continental, Dry Summer, Hot Summer (Csa): Adelaide (Australia), Algiers (Algeria), Antalya (Turkey), Athens (Greece), Barcelona (Spain), Casablanca (Morocco), Dushanbe (Tajikstan), Izmir (Turkey), Jerusalem (Isreal), Mersin (Turkey), Naples (Italy), Perth (Australia), Rome (Italy), San Diego (California), Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Tunis, Tunisia, Vatican City (Italy)
Continental, Dry Summer, Warm Summer (Csb): Cape Town (South Africa), Nakura (Kenya), Portland (Oregon), San Francisco (California), Seattle (Washington)
Continental, Dry Summer, Cold Summer (Csc): No major city has this type of climate, although there are some small towns.
Continental, Dry Winter, Hot Summer (Cwa): Antananarivo (Madagascar), Busan (South Korea), Chengdu (China), Cordoba (Argentina), Delhi (India), Guangzhou (China), Guatemala City (Guatemala), Hanoi (Vietnam), Islamabad (Pakistan), Lucknow (India), Zapopan (Mexico), Zhengzhou (China).
Continental, Dry Winter, Warm Summer (Cwb): Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Harare (Zimbabwe), Johannesburg (South Africa), Kunming (China), Mexico City (Mexico), Nairobi (Kenya).
Continental, Dry Winter, Cold Summer (Cwc): El Alto (Bolivia), La Paz (Bolivia).
Continental, No Dry Season, Hot Summer (Cfa): Amsterdam (Netherlands), Auckland (New Zealand), Berlin (Germany), Dublin (Ireland), Frankfurt (Germany), Geneva (Switzerland), London (England), Melbourne (Australia), Munich (Germany), Paris (France).
Continental, No Dry Season, Warm Summer (Cfb): Bogota (Colombia), Quito (Ecuador),
Continental, No Dry Season, Cold Summer (Cfc): Several small and mid-sized cities have this climate, but no cities with global influence. Many of these cities are in Chile, Argentina, Norway and Alaska.
