Tropical Savanna Climate

Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a type of climate that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories "Aw" and '"As. "

Tropical savanna climates have monthly mean temperature above 18 °C (64°F) in every month of the year and typically a pronounced dry season, with the driest month having precipitation less than 60 mm and also less than (100 − ). 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 – ). In essence, a tropical savanna climate tends to either see less rainfall than a tropical monsoon climate or have more pronounced dry seasons.

There are generally four types of a tropical savanna climate:

• One form of the tropical savanna climate features distinct wet and dry seasons of relatively equal duration. Most of the region’s annual rainfall is experienced during the wet season and very little precipitation falls during the dry season.

• The second type of a tropical savanna climate features a lengthy dry season and a relatively short wet season. This version features seven or more dry season months and five or less wet season months. There are variations within this version. On one extreme, the region receives just enough precipitation during the short wet season to preclude it from a semi-arid climate classification. This drier variation of the tropical savanna climate is typically found adjacent to regions with semi-arid climates. On the other extreme, the climate features a lengthy dry season followed by a short but extremely rainy wet season. However, regions with this variation of the climate do not experience enough rainfall during the wet season to qualify as a tropical monsoon climate.

• The third type of a tropical savanna climate features a lengthy wet season and a relatively short dry season. This version features seven or more wet season months and five or less dry season months. This version’s precipitation pattern is similar to precipitation patterns observed in some tropical monsoon climates. However, regions with this variation of the climate do not experience enough rainfall during the wet season to qualify as a tropical monsoon climate.

• The fourth, rarer form of the tropical savanna climate features a dry season with a noticeable amount of rainfall followed by a rainy wet season. In essence, this version mimics the precipitation patterns more commonly found in a tropical monsoon climate. However, regions with this version of the climate fall short of a tropical monsoon climate categorization because it either does not receive enough precipitation during the dry season, or it does not receive enough annual precipitation.