Köppen climate classification
Updated Köppen-Geiger climate map[1]
Af
Am
Aw
BWh
BWk
BSh
BSk
Csa
Csb
Cwa
Cwb
Cfa
Cfb
Cfc
Dsa
Dsb
Dsc
Dsd
Dwa
Dwb
Dwc
Dwd
Dfa
Dfb
Dfc
Dfd
ET
EF
The Köppen climate classification is one
of the most widely used climate classification
systems. It was developed by Wladimir Köp-
pen, a Russian climatologist, around 1900
(with several further modifications by Köp-
pen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936). It is
based on the concept that native vegetation
is the best expression of climate; thus, cli-
mate zone boundaries have been selected
with vegetation distribution in mind. It com-
bines average annual and monthly temperat-
ures and precipitation, and the seasonality of
precipitation.[2]
The scheme
Köppen climate classification scheme divides
the climates into five main groups and sever-
al types and subtypes. Each particular cli-
mate type is represented by a 2 to 4 letter
symbol.
GROUP A: Tropical/mega-
thermal climates
Tropical climates are characterized by con-
stant high temperature (at sea level and low
elevations) — all twelve months of the year
have average temperatures of 18 °C (64.4 °F)
or higher. They are subdivided as follows:
• (Af):[3] All twelve months have average
precipitation of at least 60 mm (2.36
inches). These climates usually occur
within 5-10° latitude of the equator. In
some eastern-coast areas, they may
extend to as much as 25° away from the
equator. This climate is dominated by the
Doldrums Low Pressure System all year
round, and therefore has no natural
seasons.
Examples:
Singapore
Belém, Brazil
Hilo, Hawaii, United States
• Some of the places that have this
climate are indeed uniformly and
monotonously wet throughout the year
(e.g., the northwest Pacific coast of
South and Central America, from
Ecuador to Costa Rica, see for instance,
Andagoya, Colombia), but in many
cases the period of higher sun and
longer days is distinctly wettest (as at
Palembang, Indonesia) or the time of
lower sun and shorter days may have
more rain (as at Sitiawan, Malaysia).
• A few pl