TROPICAL CLIMATES

FOUND BETWEEN & AROUND THE TROPICS OF CANCER & CAPRICON

2 DOMINANT FACTORS OF AIR TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY
DETERMINE THE HUMAN COMFORT
DIVIDED INTO 3 MAJOR GROUPS
WARM HUMID, HOT DRY DESERT , COMPOSITE
AND 3 SUB GROUPS
WARM HUMID ISLAND, HOT DRY DESERT MARITIME, UPLAND
 TROPICAL CLIMATES
WARM HUMID
REGION NEAR THE EQUATOR AND UPTO 15 DEG N & S
COLOMBO, SINGAPORE, JAKARTA
SEASONAL VARIATION IS MINIMUM IN THE YEAR
AIR TEMPERATURE (DBT) - MEAN MAX OF 27 – 32 deg DAY TIME, 21 – 27 deg AT
NIGHT.
DIURNAL AND ANNUAL RANGE OF TEMPERATURE IS LESS
HUMIDITY (RH) - HIGH 75% BUT VARIES FROM 55% - 100%
PRECIPITATION - HIGH ANNUAL RAINFALL CAN BE 2000 TO 5000 MM
SKY CONDITIONS – CLOUDY WITH 60 TO 90%, BRIGHT SKIES LUMINANCE 7000 CD/SQ
M
SOLAR RADIATION – REFLECTED AND SCATTERED BY CLOUDS HENCE DIFFUSED
RADIATION ON THE GROUND, BUT NOT EASILY RE-RADIATED BACK.
WIND VELOCITIES – LOW,1 OR 2 DOMINANT DIRECTION
VEGETATION – THICK , GROUND IS WATERLOGGED
FUNGAL GROWTH, RUSTING CAUSE DECAY OF MATERIALS. MOSQUITOES PREVALENT.
STORMS ARE ACCOMPANIED BY LIGHTNING
 TROPICAL CLIMATES
WARM HUMID ISLAND CLIMATE
ISLANDS IN THE EQUATOR REGION AND TRADE WIND ZONE.
CARRIBEAN, PHILIPPINES
SEASONAL VARIATION IS MINIMUM IN THE YEAR
AIR TEMPERATURE (DBT) - MEAN MAX OF 29 -32 deg DAY TIME, 18 - 24 deg AT
NIGHT.
DIURNAL RANGE IS 8 deg & ANNUAL RANGE IS 14 deg
HUMIDITY (RH) - 55% - 100 %
PRECIPITATION - HIGH ANNUAL RAINFALL CAN BE 1000 TO 1800 MM.
SKY CONDITIONS – CLEAR OR BRIGHT WHITE CLOUDS LUMINANCE LOW
SOLAR RADIATION – STRONG AND DIRECT
WIND VELOCITIES – TRADE WINDS AT 6 - 7 M/S, DRIVING RAIN CAN BE ALMOST
HORIZONTAL
VEGETATION – LESS DENSE , WATER TABLE IS FAIRLY LOW
CYCLONES & HURRICANES, CORROSION DUE TO HIGH SALT CONTENT IN
ATMOSPHERE
 TROPICAL CLIMATES
HOT DRY DESERT CLIMATE
REGION BETWEEN 15 & 30 deg N & S
PHOENIX, RAJASTHAN
PREDOMINANTLY HOT , COOL SEASON
AIR TEMPERATURE (DBT) – SUMMER MEAN MAX OF 43 - 49 deg DAY TIME, 24 - 30
deg AT NIGHT.
WINTER MEAN MAX OF 27 - 32 deg DAY TIME, 10 - 18 deg AT NIGHT.
DIURNAL RANGE IS HIGH
HUMIDITY (RH) – LOW 10 - 55%
PRECIPITATION – LOW 50 – 150MM
SKY CONDITIONS – CLEAR BLUE SKIES, LUMINANCE LOW 2500 CD/ SQ M
SOLAR RADIATION – STRONG AND DIRECT, RE-RADIATED AT NIGHT
WIND VELOCITIES – LOCAL WINDS CAUSED BY HEATING OF EARTH’S SURFACE
VEGETATION – SPARSE, DRY SOIL
DUST AND SAND STORMS, RAPID HEATING AND COOLING CAUSES CRACKING OF
MATERIAL
 TROPICAL CLIMATES
HOT DRY DESERT MARITIME CLIMATE
REGION BETWEEN 15 & 30 deg N & S WHERE THE SEA IS ADJACENT TO LAND MASS
KARACHI
PREDOMINANTLY HOT , COOL SEASON
AIR TEMPERATURE (DBT) – SUMMER MEAN MAX OF 38 deg DAY TIME, 24 - 20deg AT
NIGHT.
WINTER MEAN MAX OF 21 - 26 deg DAY TIME, 10 - 18 deg AT NIGHT.
DIURNAL RANGE IS HIGH
HUMIDITY (RH) – HIGH 50 - 90%
PRECIPITATION – LOW
SKY CONDITIONS – CLEAR WITH SOME CLOUDS, LUMINANCE LOW 2500 CD/ SQ M
SOLAR RADIATION – STRONG AND DIRECT, MORE DIFFUSED DUE TO CLOUDS, GLARE
WIND VELOCITIES – LOCAL WINDS CAUSED DUE TO UNEVEN HEATING OF LAND AND
SEA SURFACES ,FROM COAST TOWARDS LAND DURING DAY, REVERSED DURING NIGHT
VEGETATION – SPARSE, DRY SOIL
DUST AND SAND STORMS, CORROSION DUE TO SALT CONTENT IN AIR
 TROPICAL CLIMATES
COMPOSITE CLIMATE
LAND NEAR THE TROPICS OF CANCER AND CAPRICON BUT FAR FROM EQUATOR TO
HAVE SEASONAL CHANGES - NEW DELHI, LAHORE
2/3RD OF YEAR HOT DRY , 1/3RD WARM HUMID, COOL DRY
AIR TEMPERATURE (DBT)
DAY TIME: 32 – 43 / 27 – 32 / UPTO 27 deg
NIGHT TIME: 21 – 27 / 24 – 27 / 4 – 10 deg
DIURNAL RANGE 11 – 22 / 3 – 6 / 11 – 22 deg
HUMIDITY (RH) – LOW 20 – 55% & HIGH 55 - 95%
PRECIPITATION – MONSOONS ANNUAL RAIN FALL 500 TO 1300 MM
SKY CONDITIONS – CLEAR WITH DARK BLUE SKIES IN DRY MONTHS, OVERCAST IN
MONSOONS
SOLAR RADIATION – STRONG AND DIRECT IN DRY MONTHS, DIFFUSED DUE TO CLOUDS
IN MONSOONS
WIND VELOCITIES – HOT AND DUSTY, MONSOON WINDS STRONG.
VEGETATION – SPARSE BUT CHANGES WITH THE RAINS – BECOMES VERDANT
DUST AND SAND STORMS, TERMITE CONCERN
 TROPICAL CLIMATES
TROPICAL UPLAND CLIMATE
MOUNTAINOUS REGIONS AND PLATEAU 900 – 1200 M ABOVE SEA LEVEL. MEXICO
CITY AND NAIROBI.
SEASONAL VARIATIONS ARE SMALL AND VARIES.
AIR TEMPERATURE (DBT) DECREASES WITH ALTITUDE , AT 1800M
DAY TIME: 24 – 30 deg
NIGHT TIME: 10 – 13 deg
DIURNAL RANGE 11 – 20 deg
HUMIDITY (RH) –HIGH 45 - 99%
PRECIPITATION – HEAVY RAINS NOT LESS THAN 1000 MM ANNUALLY
SKY CONDITIONS – CLEAR OR PARTLY CLOUDY( 40%)
SOLAR RADIATION – STRONG AND DIRECT , UV RADIATION IS MORE STRONGER AT
HIGHER ALTITUDES
WIND VELOCITIES – NORTH EAST AND SOUTH EAST DIRECTIONS UPTO 15 M /S.
VEGETATION – MODERATE BUT NOT LUXURIANT.
HEAVY DEW, HAIL AND THUNDER STORMS WITH LIGHTNING.
CLIMATIC ZONES OF INDIA
 CLIMATIC ZONES OF INDIA
KOPPEN CLASSIFICATION
TROPICAL WET (WARM HUMID)
PERSISTENT HIGH TEMPERATURES
AND HEAVY RAINFALL ABOVE 780
MM/YR
LAKSHDWEEP, WESTERN GHATS AND
SOUTHERN PARTS OF ASSAM
TROPICAL WET & DRY
SUMMERS AND WINTERS ARE DRY.
TEMPERATURE IN SUMMER
AVERAGES AT 45 deg
RAINFALL 750 – 1500 MM/YR
PLATEAU OF PENNINSULAR INDIA
 CLIMATIC ZONES OF INDIA
HOT DRY (SEMI ARID)
SUMMERS ARE HOT, AVERAGES
OF 32 deg & ABOVE
SITUATED IN THE RAIN SHADOW
AREA, RAINFALL UNRELIABLE,
FAMINE ZONE
KARNATAKA, ANDHRA PRADESH,
MAHARASHTRA AND TAMIL NADU
PUNJAB, HARYANA – RAINFALL
MORE BUT UNRELIABLE, SUMMER
AVERAGES ARE 40 deg & ABOVE
HOT DRY (ARID)
SCANTY RAINFALL AND EXTREME
TEMPERATURES 50 deg IN
SUMMERS & 0 deg IN WINTERS.
RAJASTHAN, PART OF GUJARAT
 CLIMATIC ZONES OF INDIA
SUBTROPICAL HUMID
RAINFALL 650 MM TO 2500 MM
NEAR THE MOUNTAINS
SUMMERS ARE HOT, WINTERS
ARE DRY AND COLD
FOOTHILLS OF HIMALAYAS,
PUNJAB-HARYANA PLAIN NEAR
HIMALAYAS, RAJASTHAN NEAR
ARAVALLI RANGE, BIHAR,
UTTARPRADESH, NORTHERN
PART OF WEST BENGAL AND
ASSAM
MOUNTAIN
HIMALAYAS ,TEMPERATURE FALLS
WITH EVERY 100 M RISE IN
ALTITUDE. VEGETATION VARIES
FROM TROPICAL TO TUNDRA