Climate
- Yakutsk, Russia
Description of Climate
- Year-round low temperatures (-10.08°C average), with below zero temperatures between September and April and a relatively warm summer making the seasonal temperature differences the biggest in the world.
- Significant amount of precipitation even in the driest months.
Explanation of Climate
- Yakutsk is located in the upper temperate region (62.1°N) where temperatures are always mild to frigid since the sun’s rays are concentrated at the equator and little insolation reaches the poles.
- Precipitation is moderate due to only little exposure to ocean influences. During winter, the Siberian anticyclone causes cold dry air to blow from the south and southwest as days shorten and there is little radiation. The highest precipitation occurs during summer when a low-pressure system brings the wind from the north and the northwest. These winds, however, lose most of their moisture as they pass over the coastal mountains.
- Dakar, Senegal
Description of Climate
- Warm temperatures all year-round with a minimum of 17°C and a maximum of 30°C.
- The area experiences high amounts of rainfall (413 mm annual average) but with a distinct short rainy season and a lengthy dry season.
Explanation of Climate
- Dakar is situated at a latitude of 14.7°N which is near the equator where the sun’s rays are much more intense leading to warm weather. Moreover, due to the lesser effect of the earth’s tilt at that latitude, there is little distinction between summer, winter, autumn, and spring. The length of the days and nights are also relatively the same implying that temperatures do not fluctuate significantly all year-round. Due to the cooling effects of sea breezes, Dakar’s temperature is relatively lower than that of surrounding cities.
- The rainy season is short lasting from July to October with the remaining eight months being dry and the driest month being March with zero precipitation. Due to the intensity of the Sun’s rays, heating occurs causing the air around the equator to expand and rise which in turn creates a low-pressure system around the equator leading to precipitation. The drier months are caused by the pressure differential between the sub-tropics and the equator which causes the dry northeast and south east trade winds to blow towards the equator.
- Yuma, AZ
Description of Climate
Average year-round warm temperatures (17°-31°) with an annual temperature range of 38.
Precipitation is extremely low throughout the year.
Explanation of Climate
- As the air from the equator and the tropics subsidize near the sub-tropics, it warms by compression causing a pronounced temperature inversion that leads to high temperatures. Additionally, the area receives around 9-15 hours of sunlight a day and due to its relative closeness to the equator the sun’s rays are also more intense leading to the high temperatures.
- The area experiences low amounts of precipitation due to the collision of the warm subtropical and cold polar air masses, creating a frontal depression which is a high-pressure cell. The air also loses its humidity as it travels from the equator and the tropics and so as it cools near the 30° latitude it has lost most of its moisture.
- Iquitos, Peru
Description of Climate
- Warm temperatures all year-round with an average of 27°.
- Relatively high precipitation with constant rainfall and no distinct dry season.
Explanation of Climate
- Iquitos is located at a latitude of 3.8° S meaning that it experiences a high intensity of the sun’s rays and constant lengths of day and night throughout the year which contributes to the warm temperature with low variances.
- Due to intense radiation, the area experiences a high evapotranspiration rate that causes a low-pressure system as the air rises before cooling off as rain. This phenomenon occurs all year-round thus there are no significant wet or dry seasons.