Tropical Climate Facts

South America, Africa, India, and Indonesia have tropical climates. Tropical wet climates have high rainfall and warm annual temperatures. Similarly, a tropical wet and dry climate has distinct rainy and dry seasons.

Tropical climates are the hottest climates of the world and feature hot temperatures year-round. They usually have two seasons, a wet and a dry season.

The three basic types of tropical climate are rainforest climate, tropical monsoon climate, and tropical wet and dry climate.

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Tropical Climate Facts for Kids

  • Most tropical climates are found near the equator
  • A dry climate has hot days and little rainfall.
  • Moderate climates are “medium” climates with mild winters and warm summers.
  • African’s Serengeti Plain has a wet and dry tropical climate.
  • Temperatures are high throughout the year, and plenty of rain falls
  • A tropical climate is also known as ‘equatorial.’

Tropical Climate Biome

Tropical climates normally have two seasons: the wet and dry seasons and the annual temperature changes are small. Plants grow in layers and are rich in resources such as coffee, cocoa, and oil palm.

Where are Tropical Climates found?

Most of them are found near the equator. Here, the sun shines brightly. It can get extremely hot. In fact, there are three types of tropical climates. Let’s find out what they are.

Tropical Rainforest Climate

The Köppen classification identifies a tropical rainforest climate as having north and south latitudinal ranges of 5-10 degrees from the equator, with high temperatures, high precipitation, and little drought.

The tropical rainforest climate has more types of trees and a high humidity level. The plants develop vertical stratification and various growth forms to receive enough sunlight.

Tropical Monsoon Climate

The Köppen climate classification tool identifies tropical monsoon climate as having small annual temperature ranges, high temperatures, plentiful precipitation, and a short dry season in the winter.

A tropical monsoon climate is characterized by an annual average temperature of 27.05°C, a 3.6°C annual temperature range, and a difference in annual precipitation between wet and drought seasons.

The tropical monsoon forest consists of three layers: the ground layer is a dense layer of shrubs, the understory layer is a dense layer of trees, and the canopy layer has trees from 25 to 30 meters tall.

Tropical Wet and Dry or Forest Climate

Savanna climates are located at the outer margins of the tropics and have a temperature range between 20°C to 30°C. Savanna climates typically cover 20% of the Earth’s surface and are covered with grassland vegetation.