Major Climate Types and How to Identify Them from Climate Stations
Step 1: What to Look for in a Climate Station
Temperature
Ask: Is it hot all year?, Is there a hot summer and cold winter?
- How large is the annual temperature range?
Annual Temperature Range: Highest Monthly Temperature - Lowest Monthly Temperature
Range Interpretation
0–5°C Very small
5–15°C Moderate
>15°C Large
Rainfall
Ask: Is rain present throughout the year?, Is there a wet season and a dry season?
- Is rainfall very low or very high?
Summary Table of Major Climate Types
Climate Type Köppen Code Temp. Characteristics Rainfall Characteristics Key Feature
Equatorial Af Hot all year (25–28°C) Rain all year (>2000 mm) No dry season
Monsoon Am Hot all year V. wet sum, short dry season Seasonal wind reversal
Savanna Aw/As Hot all year Distinct wet and dry seasons Long dry season
Desert/Arid BWh/BWk Very hot or cold Very low (<250 mm) Extreme dryness
Steppe/Semi-arid BSh/BSk Warm to hot 250–500 mm More rain than desert
Mediterranean Csa/Csb Hot sum, mild win Dry summer, wet winter Opposite rainfall pattern
Maritime/Oceanic Cfb/Cfc Mild sum, mild win Rain all year Small temperature range
Continental Dfa/Dfb/Dwa/Dwb Warm-hot sum, cold win Moderate rainfall Large temperature range
Tundra ET Short cool summer Low precipitation Warmest month below 10°C
Ice Cap EF Below 0°C all year Very little precipitation Permanent ice
Highland/Mountain H Depends on altitude Varies Temp decreases with height
1. Equatorial Climate (Af)
Characteristics: Near the Equator. Hot throughout the year. V. small annual temperature range.
Temperature
Feature Value
Mean annual temperature 25–28°C
Annual range 1–3°C
Rainfall
Feature Value
Annual rainfall 2000–4000 mm
Dry season None
Climate Station Clue: Every month above 25°C, Every month receives rain
✓ Rainfall never drops below about 60 mm
Example: Singapore, Kisangani
Unique Feature: Hot and wet all year.
2. Monsoon Climate (Am)
Characteristics: Hot throughout the year.Very wet summer. Short dry season.
Temperature
Feature Value
Mean temperature 24–30°C
Rainfall
Feature Value
Annual rainfall 1500–4000 mm
Wet season Very intense
Climate Station Clue: Heavy rainfall concentrated in summer, One or more dry months
Northern Hemisphere Example: Mumbai
Wet season: June–September
Southern Hemisphere Example: Darwin
Wet season: November–March
Unique Feature: Extremely wet summer caused by seasonal wind reversal.
3. Savanna Climate (Aw/As)
Characteristics: Hot throughout the year. Distinct wet and dry seasons.
Temperature
Feature Value
Average temperature 20–30°C
Rainfall
Feature Value
Annual rainfall 500–1500 mm
Climate Station Clue: Several months almost rainless, Clear wet season and dry season
Example: Kampala, Khartoum (dry savanna margin)
Unique Feature: Longer dry season than monsoon climate.
4. Desert Climate (Arid) (BWh/BWk)
Characteristics: Driest climate on Earth.
Temperature
Type Temperature
Hot Desert (BWh) Often >35°C summer
Cold Desert (BWk) Cold winters
Rainfall
Feature Value
Annual rainfall Less than 250 mm
Climate Station Clue: Rainfall extremely low every month
Example: Cairo, Riyadh
Unique Feature: Persistent lack of rainfall.
5. Steppe Climate (Semi-Arid) (BSh/BSk)
Characteristics: Transition between desert and humid climates.
Temperature: Warm to hot.
Rainfall
Feature Value
Annual rainfall 250–500 mm
Climate Station Clue: More rain than deserts, Still dry most of the year
Example: Niamey, Ulaanbaatar
Unique Feature: Enough rainfall for grasses but not forests.
6. Mediterranean Climate (Csa/Csb)
Characteristics: Hot dry summers. Mild wet winters.
Temperature
Season Temperature
Summer 25–35°C
Winter 5–15°C
Rainfall: Winter maximum, Summer minimum
Climate Station Clue: Rain falls mainly in winter.
Northern Hemisphere Example: Athens
Wet season: November–March
Southern Hemisphere Example: Cape Town
Wet season: May–August
Unique Feature: Dry summer and wet winter.
7. Maritime (Oceanic) Climate (Cfb/Cfc)
Characteristics: Strong ocean influence.
Temperature
Feature Value
Summer Mild (15–22°C)
Winter Mild (0–10°C)
Range Small
Rainfall: Rain throughout year
Climate Station Clue: No very hot summer, No severe winter, Rain all year
Example: London, Wellington
Unique Feature: Small annual temperature range.
8. Continental Climate (D)
Characteristics: Far from oceans.
Temperature
Feature Value
Summer 20–30°C
Winter Below 0°C
Rainfall: Moderate, Often summer maximum
Climate Station Clue: Large annual temperature range
Often: Summer = 25°C, Winter = –10°C, Range = 35°C
Example: Moscow, Winnipeg
Unique Feature: Hot summers and very cold winters.
9. Polar Tundra Climate (ET)
Characteristics: Extremely cold.
Temperature
Feature Value
Warmest month 0–10°C
Rainfall
Feature Value
Annual rainfall Usually <250 mm
Climate Station Clue: Warmest month below 10°C
Example: Utqiagvik, Longyearbyen
Unique Feature: No true summer.
10. Ice Cap Climate (EF)
Characteristics: Permanent ice and snow.
Temperature
Feature Value
Every month Below 0°C
Rainfall: Very low.
Example: Antarctica, Greenland Ice Sheet
Unique Feature: No month above freezing.
11. Highland/Mountain Climate (H)
Characteristics: Controlled mainly by altitude.
Temperature
Rule of thumb: Temperature decreases about 6.5°C per 1000 m increase in elevation.
Rainfall: Windward slopes = wetter. Leeward slopes = drier.
Example: Addis Ababa, Quito
Unique Feature: Altitude matters more than latitude.
Hemisphere Guide for Students
When identifying climates from climate stations, always check which hemisphere the station is in.
Climate Northern Hemisphere Wet/Hot Season Southern Hemisphere Wet/Hot Season
Monsoon Jun–Sep Nov–Mar
Savanna May–Oct Nov–Apr
Mediterranean Wet Season Nov–Mar May–Aug
Continental Summer Jun–Aug Dec–Feb
Continental Winter Dec–Feb Jun–Aug
Quick Identification Key
If the Climate Station Shows... Climate Type
Hot and wet all year Equatorial (Af)
Hot all year + very wet summer Monsoon (Am)
Hot all year + long dry season Savanna (Aw)
Rainfall below 250 mm Desert (BW)
250–500 mm rainfall Steppe (BS)
Dry summer, wet winter Mediterranean (Cs)
Mild temperatures + rain all year Maritime (Cfb)
Hot summer, cold winter Continental (D)
Warmest month below 10°C Tundra (ET)
Every month below 0°C Ice Cap (EF)
Climate controlled by altitude Highland (H)
This identification key is often enough for secondary-school students to classify most climate stations correctly from monthly temperature and rainfall data.
