The Brazilian Climate

Ninety percent of Brazil is within the tropical zone. So this means that when traveling to this warm and humid climate that your attire should be fitting to the summer styles of attire. However, the Brazilian climate varies quite considerably from the tropical north, where the equator cuts through the Amazon, to the temperate zones below the Tropic of Capricorn. The Tropic of Capricorn crosses through Brazil at the point of Sao, Paulo, so there may be some need to pack warm attire if you are venturing farther south. Amazingly Brazil has five different climatic zones within the country, tropical, semi-arid, highland tropical, subtropical, and equatorial. So when traveling to Brazil make sure you pack the right attire for the right region where you will be traveling.

Temperatures along the equator in Brazil are actually quite nice, there is very little seasonal variation near the equator. There are times that it can get cool enough to wear a jacket here in these regions near the equator, especially in a rain, so when packing for a trip here to Brazil you may want to remember your jacket. Temperatures do not reach summer extremes as you might think they would, rather they stay in the mild region of the seventies. In the temperate zones, however, the temperatures do often reach the humid summer extremes of one hundred plus. In the other extreme of the countries climate, there are frosty regions south of the Tropic of Capricorn during the winter, which happens between the months of June and August. Some years they even see snow in the mountainous areas like Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. When traveling to these parts of Brazil you may want to dress very warmly. Especially if you find yourself here in the winter months. Places like Sao Paulo, Brasilia, and Belo Horizonte are a moderate type, with temperatures falling between fifty-nine and eighty seven degrees, despite their low latitude. Coastal cities like Rio de Janeiro, Recife, and Salvador have warm climates as well, with temperatures ranging from seventy three to eighty one degrees with the enjoyment of the trade winds. The subtropical cities in the southern part of Brazil, such as Porto Alegre and Curitiba, have a climate type that is similar to those in parts of the United States and Europe. In these places temperatures can fall below freezing in the wintertime.

Precipitation in Brazil can vary widely from region to region. Most of Brazil has a moderate rainfall between forty and sixty inches in a year, with most of it falling in the summer time. Brazilian summer falls in the months of December and April south of the equator. The region of the Amazon is known for its humidity with rainfall of eighty inches or more per year. In some parts of the western Amazon and close to Belem, it is closer to one hundred and twenty inches per year. The Amazon rainforest actually has a three to five month dry season each year, but this also varies in accordance to the region being above or below the equator.