Classification of Tropical Climates- MODULE 1

Climatic Zones
Infinite variety of climates
Interaction of solar radiation with atmosphere and gravitational
forces
Distribution of land and sea masses
Certain zones of approximately uniform climates can be distinguished
Boundaries cannot be accurately mapped
One zone merges gradually into the next
Classification
Classification suggested by G A Atkinson in 1953
Basis of classification Temperature and Humidity dominant
influence on comfort
Tropical climate-warm humid equatorial (warm humid island or trade wind
climate), Hot-dry desert (hot-dry maritime desert climate), composite or
monsoon (tropical upland climate)
Comparison

1. Warm Humid Climate

2. Subgroup : Warm-humid island climate
Warm-humid climate
Near the equator- 15 deg N and S
Lagos (Nigeria)
Dar-es-Salam (Tanzania)
Mombasa (Kenya)
Colombo (Sri Lanka)
Singapore
Jakarta (Indonesia)

 Quito (Ecuador)
Pernambuco (Brazil)
Very little seasonal variation
Periods with more or less rain
Gusty winds and electric storms
DBT

Mean Max : 27-32 C

Mean Min : 21-27 C
Diurnal and Annual ranges are narrow
Humidity
Remains high about 75 %
May vary from 55% to almost 100%
Vapor Pressure : 2500 -3000 N/sqm
Precipitation
High Throughout the year
More intense for several consecutive months
Annual rainfall : 2000-5000 mm
May exceed 500 mm in wettest month
Sever storms upto 100mm/hr for short periods
Sky Condition
Fairly cloudy 60-90%
Bright luminance of 7000 cd/sqm
Slightly more when sun illuminates white cumulus clouds
When heavily overcast, sky is dull (850 cd/sqm or less)
Solar Radiation

Partly reflected and partly scattered by the clouds or high vapour

content
Radiation reaching ground is diffuse but strong
Causes painful sky glare
Reduces outgoing radiation from earth and sea
Accumulated heat is not readily dissipated

Wind
Typically low velocities
Frequent calm periods
Strong winds can occur during rain squalls
Gusts of 30 m/s have been reported
Usually one or two dominant directions
Vegetation
Grows quickly due to frequent rains and high temperatures
Difficult to control
Subsoil water table is usually high
Ground may be water logged
Little light is reflected from the ground
Special characteristics
High humidity accelerates mould and algal growth, rusting and
rotting.
Organic buliding materials tend to decay rapidly.
Mosquitoes and insects
Thunder storms with lightning

Warm-humid island climate

Islands within the equitorial belt and in the trade wind zone
The Caribbeans
The Philippines
Seasonal Variations are negligible
DBT
Mean Max : 29 - 32C
Mean Min : 18 - 24 C
Diurnal range : less than 8C
Annual Range : 14C
Humidity
Varies between 55% and 100%
Vapor pressure : 1750 2500 N/sqm
Precipitation
1250 1800 mm per annum
200-250 mm in wettest month
Driving rain almost horizontal in windward coasts
Solar Radiation
Strong and mainly direct
Varies with cloud cover

Sky Conditions
Normally clear or filled with broken clouds of high brightness
Dark and dull during storms
Clear blue skies of low luminance (1700-2500 cd/sqm)
Winds
Predominant trade wind (6-7 m/s)
Higher during cyclones
Vegetation
Less luxuriant and of much lighter green color
Sunlight reflected from coral and sand very bright
Dry soil with low water table
Tropical Cyclones 45-70 m/s
High salt content in atmosphere corrosion in coastal areas

3. Hot-dry desert climate

4. Subgroup : Hot-dry maritime desert climate
Hot-dry desert climate
Two belts : 1530 N and S
Assuan (Egypt)
Baghdad (Iraq)
Alice springs (Australia)
Phoenix (Arizona, USA)
Two marked seasons
A hot period
A cooler period
DBT
Rises quickly after sunrise
Mean max :
Hot period : 43-49C
Cool period : 27-32C
Mean Min :
Hot : 24-30C
Cool: 10-18C
Extreme Maximum
58C Libya 1922
Very high diurnal Range : 17-22C
Humidity
Varies from 10-55%
Wet bulb depression is very large due to rapid evaporation
Vapor pressure : 750-1500 N/sqm
Precipitation
Slight and variable : 50-155 mm
Flash-storms may occur over limited areas with upto 50mm in
few hours

Sky

No rain for several years in some regions

Conditions
Normally clear
Very few clouds low AH
Dark blue sky : 1700 2500 cd/sqm
Dust or sand storms : 850 cd/sqm
End of hot period- dust suspended in air creates white haze3500-10000 cd/sqm- Produces diffuse light and painful glare
Solar Radiation
Direct and strong
Absence of cloud easy release of heat stored in day, as long
wave radiation in night
Diffuse radiation only present during dust haze
Winds
Usually local winds
Heating of air over hot ground causes temperature inversion
Lower warm air mass breaks through higher cooler air local
whirlwinds
Winds are hot, carrying dust and sand often develop into dust
storm
Vegetation
Sparse and difficult to maintain because of lack of rain and low
Humidity

Soil is dusty and very dry

Strong sunlight, highly reflective light coloured ground creates
20k 25k cd/sqm
Soil dry quickly after rain
Generally fertile if irrigated
Water table very low
Special Characteristics
Dust and sandstorms may be frequent
High diurnal variation may cause materials to crack and break up

Hot-dry maritime desert climate

Same latitude as hot-dry desert climate but near sea

Amongst the most unfavorable climates
Kuwait
Karachi
Two seasons Hot and somewhat cooler one
DBT
Mean Max : 38C / 21-26C
Mean Min : 24-30 C / 10-18 C
Diurnal range : 9-12 C (larger during cold season)
Humidity
Steadily high - 50% and 90%
Vapor pressure : 1500 2500 N/sqm
Strong evaporation from sea moisture not precipitated, remains
suspended in air creating uncomfortable conditions
Precipitation Very low
Sky condition little more cloudy than Hot dry, in form of thin
translucent haze, causes glare
Solar Radiation
Strong with higher diffuse component
Due to thin clouds and suspended moisture
Winds
Mostly local, coastal winds
Caused by unequal heating and cooling of land and sea
From sea to land during day and reverse during night
Vegetation
Sparse, not more than some dry grass
Ground and rocks are brown or red
Dry and dusty throughout the year
Intense ground glare
Special Characteristics
Dust and sand-storms
Salt laden atmosphere accelerates corrosion

5. Composite or Monsoon climate

6. Subgroup : Tropical Upland climate
Composite or Monsoon climate

Large land masses near the tropics

Sufficiently far from equator
Lahore
Mandalay
New Delhi
Two marked seasons
Two-thirds of year is hot dry period
Other is warm-humid
Further north and south Cool-dry also
DBT

Seasons

Hot-dry

Warm-humid

Cool-dry

Mean-max

32-43

27-32

<27

Mean-min
Diurnal range

21-27
11-22

24-27
3-6

4-10
11-22

Humidity
Low throughout the dry periods (20-55%)
Vapor pressure 1300 -1600 N/sqm
Rises in wet period (55-95%)
Vapor pressure 2000-2500 N/sqm

Precipitation
Monsoon rains intense and prolonged
25-38 mm can fall in an hour
Annual 500-1300 mm
200-250 mm in wettest month

Sky conditions
Vary markedly with seasons heavily overcast and dull during
monsoons clear with dark blue color in dry seasons
Towards end of hot-dry season sky becomes brighter with
frequent dust haze
Special characteristics
Changes in relative humidity cause rapid weakening of building
materials
Dust and sand-storms, termites
Solar Radiation
Alternates between warm-humid and hot-dry conditions
Winds
Hot and dusty during dry period
Directional changes in prevailing winds at beginning of warm
humid season brings rain clouds and humid air from sea
Monsoon winds are fairly strong and steady
Vegetation
Sparse with brown and red barren ground, changes rapidly with
rain
landscape becomes green and fertile in a few days plants grow
quickly
Vegetation covers ground when cool but diminishes as
temperature rises
Soil is damp during rains but dries out quickly
Risk of soil erosion during monsoons
Strong ground glare during dry season

Tropical upland climate

Mountainous regions and plateau more than 900 -1200 m above sealevel experience such climate
Bogota, Mexico city, Nairobi
Seasonal Variations are small near equator, but further away, seasons
follow those of nearby low lands
DBT
Decreases with altitude
Mean Max 24-30 C
Mean min 10-13 C
May fall below 4C at some locations ground frost can occur

Large diurnal range

Annual range depends on lattitude Slight variation at equator
at tropics, 11-20C
Humidity
RH- 45-99% and Vapor pressure 800-1600 N/sqm
Precipitation
Variable but rarely less than 1000mm
Often falls in heavy concentrated showers of upto 80mm per
hour
Sky Condition
Normally clear or partly cloudy (40%)
During monsoons sky is overcast clouds are heavy and low
Solar Radiation
Strong and direct during clear periods stronger than at sea
level
UV radiation is stronger
Becomes more diffuse as cloud cover increases
Winds
Variable predominantly trade winds, but may be deflected by
topography
Rarely exceeds 15 m/s
Vegetation
Green but not luxuriant during wet seasons , but wither when dry
Soil is damp in the rains but dries quickly
Heavy dew at night
Special Characteristics
Heavy dew at night
Strong radiation loss during dry season leads to formation of
radiation fog
Thunder storms with air to ground electric discharges
Hail may occur