Group A: Tropical Humid Climates

The tropics are the belt of the Earth that lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Here, the sun is overhead throughout the year, and the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is present for much of it. These two factors combine to make the climate hot and humid. Because the sun’s angle and day length barely change, the annual range of temperature is very low, while rainfall is high. This group is divided into three climate types: Af (tropical wet), Am (tropical monsoon), and Aw (tropical wet and dry).

Tropical Wet Climate (Af)

The Af climate is found near the equator. The major areas are the Amazon Basin in South America, western equatorial Africa, and the islands of the East Indies. Here, significant rainfall occurs in every month of the year, often as afternoon thunder showers. The temperature is uniformly high, and the annual range of temperature is negligible. On any given day, the maximum temperature is around 30°C and the minimum around 20°C. This climate supports tropical evergreen forests with a dense canopy cover and large biodiversity.

Tropical Monsoon Climate (Am)

The Am climate is found over the Indian subcontinent, the northeastern part of South America, and northern Australia. Heavy rainfall occurs mostly in summer, while winter is dry. The detailed climatic account of this type is given in the book on India: Physical Environment.

Tropical Wet and Dry Climate (Aw) …