Tropical savanna climate or
tropical wet and dry climate is a type of
climate that corresponds to the categories
Aw and
As of the
Köppen climate classification. These climates have monthly mean temperature above 18º C in every month of the year and a pronounced dry season, with the driest month having precipitation less than 60 mm and also less than (100 − [total annual precipitation {mm}/25]). This latter fact is in direct contrast to a
tropical monsoon climate, whose driest month sees less than 60 mm of precipitation but has
more than (100 - [total annual precipitation {mm}/25]). In essence, a tropical savanna climate tends to have more pronounced dry seasons than a tropical monsoon climate.
Most places that have this climate are found at the outer margins of the
tropical zone, but occasionally an inner-tropical location (e.g.,
San Marcos,
Antioquia,
Colombia) also qualifies. Actually, the Caribbean coast, eastward from the
Gulf of Urabá on the
Colombia–
Panamá border to the
Orinoco river delta, on the Atlantic ocean (ca. 4,000 km), have long dry periods (the extreme is the BSh climate (see below), characterised by very low, unreliable precipitation, present, for instance, in extensive areas in the
Guajira, and Coro, western Venezuela, the northernmost peninsulas in South America, which receive <300 mm total annual precipitation, practically all in two or three months). This condition extends to the
Lesser Antilles and
Greater Antilles forming the
Circumcaribbean dry belt. The length and severity of the dry season diminishes inland (southward); at the latitude of the Amazon river — which flows eastward, just south of the equatorial line — the climate is Af. East from the Andes, between the dry, arid Caribbean and the ever-wet Amazon are the Orinoco river'
llanos or
savannas, from where this climate takes its name.
Sometimes
As is used in place of
Aw if the dry season occurs during the time of higher sun and longer days. This is the case in parts of
Hawaii, East Africa (Mombasa, Kenya) and Sri Lanka (
Trincomalee), for instance. In most places that have tropical wet and dry climates, however, the dry season occurs during the time of lower sun and shorter days because of
rainshadow effects during the 'high-sun' part of the year.
Notable cities with tropical savanna climates
Charts of selected cities
Category:TropicsCategory:Climatear:سافاناbg:Саванаbs:Savanaca:Sabanacs:Savanacv:Саваннаda:Savannede:Savanneeo:Savanoes:Clima tropical secoet:Savanneu:Sabanafi:Savannifr:Climat tropical de savanefy:Savannegl:Sabanahe:סוואנהhr:Savanahu:Szavannaid:Sabanaio:Savanoit:Clima della savanaja:サバナ気候ka:სავანაko:사바나 기후lt:Savanalv:Savannaml:സവേനnl:Tropisch savanneklimaatnn:Tropisk savanneklimano:Savannepl:Sawannapt:Clima tropical com estação secaro:Savanăru:Саваннаsh:Tropska savanska klimasimple:Savannask:Savanasl:Savansko podnebjesq:Savanasr:Саванаsv:Savannsw:Savanatr:Savanuk:Саванаzh:熱帶乾濕季氣候
