Choosing when to visit a country can affect more than your suntan. In many places,
climate is a key factor in the overall levels of hygiene and disease, as well as the
prevalence of those annoying little insects...
Africa
East Africa: Although much of
this area is on or near the equator, little of it has an equatorial climate. The
lowlands of Djibouti in the extreme east have a very low, uncertain rainfall, creating
near-desert conditions plagued by severe droughts. Further down the coast, the
high lowland temperatures are moderated by constant sea breezes. The
temperatures inland are brought down by high-altitude plateaux and mountain
ranges to about the level found in Britain at the height of summer. Temperatures
are reasonably stable all year round, although the Kenyan highlands have a cooler,
cloudy 'winter' from June to September. There
are rainy seasons in most areas in April and May and, in some areas, for a couple
of months between July and November, depending on the latitude.
North Africa: The climate here varies widely
from the warm and pleasant greenery of a Mediterranean climate in the coastal
regions to the arid heat of the deep Sahara. Rains on the coast usually fall
between September and May and are heavy but not prolonged. It can get cool
enough for snow to settle in the mountainous areas, but temperatures will not
usually fall below freezing, even in winter. In summer, temperatures are high (up to
around 40C) but bearable.
The Sahara, on the other hand, is extreme, with maximum summer temperatures of
around 50C and minimum winter
temperatures of around 3C. The
temperature can fall extremely rapidly, with freezing nights following blisteringly hot
days. What little, if any, rain there is can fall at any time of the year. The desert is
also prone to strong winds and dust storms.
Southern Africa: The whole
area from Angola, Zambia and Malawi southwards tends to be fairly pleasant and
healthy, although there are major variations from the Mediterranean climate of
Cape Province, with its mild winters and warm, sunny summers, to the semi-desert
sprawl of the Kalahari and the relatively wet areas of Swaziland, inland
Mozambique and the Zimbabwe highlands to the east. In the more northerly areas,
there is a definite summer rainy season, from December to March, when the
temperatures are highest. On the south coast, there is usually some rain all year
round. The west coast, with little rain, has cloud and fog due to the cold Benguela
current, which also helps keep down the temperature. The best times of the year to
visit are April, May and September, when the weather is fine but not too hot or
humid.
West Africa: At no time is the
climate in West Africa likely to be comfortable, although some areas and times of
the year are worse than others. The coastal areas are extremely wet and humid,
with a total of 2,500 mm of rain falling in two rainy seasons (May and June and
then again in October). In the north there is considerably less rain, with only one
wet period between June and September. However, the humidity is still high, only
lessened by the arrival of the harmattan, a hot, dry and
dusty north-easterly wind which blows from the Sahara. Temperatures remain high
and relatively even throughout the year.
The Americas
Canada and USA: Almost
half of Canada and most of Alaska in the north lies beyond the Arctic Circle and
suffers from the desperately harsh weather associated with this latitude. The
ground is tundra and rarely melts more than a couple of feet deep, and even
though summer temperatures are often surprisingly high, the season is short-lived.
Snow and frost are possible at any time, while the northern areas have permanent
snow cover. The coast is ice-bound most of the year.
The whole centre of the continent is prone to severe and very changeable weather,
as the low-lying land of the Great Plains and the Canadian Prairies offers no
resistance to sweeping winds that tear across the continent both from the Gulf and
the Arctic. The east is fairly wet but the west has very little rain, resulting in desert
and semi-desert country in the south.
Winter temperatures in the north can go as low as
40C and can be
very low even in the south, with strong winds and blizzards. In the north, winter is
long-lived. Summers are sunny and often scorchingly hot.
In general, the coastal areas of North America are far kinder than the centre of the
continent. The Pacific coast is blocked by the Rockies from the sweeping winds,
and in the Vancouver area the climate is similar to that of the
UK. Sea breezes keep it cool further south.
Seasons change fairly gradually on the east coast, but the northerly areas still suffer
from the extremes of temperature that give New York its fabled humid heatwaves
in summer and frigid winter temperatures. New York, in spite of being far further
north, is often much hotter than San Francisco. The Newfoundland area has heavy
fog and icebergs for shipping to contend with. Florida and the Gulf States to the
south have a tropical climate, with warm weather all year round, and winter sun
and summer thunderstorms. This is the area most likely to be affected by
hurricanes and tornadoes, although cyclones are possible anywhere.
Central America: The best time to visit this
area is during the dry season (winter) from November to April. However, the
mountains and the plains facing the Caribbean have heavy rainfall throughout the
year, which is usually at its worst from September to February. The mountains and
plains facing the Pacific have negligible rainfall from December to April.
Central and northern Mexico tend to have a longer dry season, and the wet season is
seldom troublesome to the traveller as it usually rains only between 4pm and 5pm.
The temperature is affected by the altitude. The unpleasant combination of
excessive heat and humidity at the height of the wet season should be avoided, if
possible, at the lower altitudes.
South America: The climatic conditions of the
South American continent are determined to a great extent by the trade winds,
which, if they originate in high pressure areas, are not necessarily carriers of
moisture. With a few regional exceptions, rain in South America is confined to the
summer months, both north and south of the Equator. The exceptions are:
southern Brazil and the eastern coast of Argentina and Uruguay, the southern
Chilean coastal winter rainfall region, the coastal area of northeast Brazil.
The highest rainfall in South America is in the Amazon basin, the coast lands of
Guyana and Surinam, the coastlines of Colombia, Ecuador and southwest Chile.
Altitude determines temperature, especially in the Andean countries near to the
equator: hot - up to 1,000 m; temperate - 1,000
to 2,000 m; cold - above 2000 m.
Argentina: The winter months,
June to October, are the best time for visiting Argentina. Buenos Aires can be
oppressively hot and humid from mid-December to the end of February. Climate
ranges from the sub-tropical north to sub-antarctic in Tierra del Fuego.
Brazil: The dry season runs
from May to October, apart from in the Amazon basin and the Recife area, which
have a tropical rainy season from April to July.
Bolivia: Heavy rainfall on the
high western plateau from May to November. Rains in all seasons to the eastern
part of the country.
Chile: Just over the border
from Bolivia, one of the driest deserts in the world faces the Pacific coast.
Ecuador: Dry seasons from
June to October. The coast is very hot and wet, especially during the December to
May period. The mountain roads can be very dangerous during the wet season
owing to landslides.
Paraguay: The best time for a
visit is from May to October when it is relatively dry. The heaviest rainfall is from
December to March, at which time it is most likely to be oppressively hot and
humid.
Peru: During the colder
months, June to November, little rainfall but damp on the coast, high humidity and
fog. From December to May, travel through the mountains can be hazardous owing
to heavy rain, which may result in landslides, causing road blockage and long
delays.
Asia
China: Climate is very diverse
across this vast land mass. Summer in most areas is very hot and humid, while
winters are generally extremely cold. The far north has dry winters, with
temperatures below zero, and hot summers. The north-west gets very hot but not
humid in summer, and winters are bitter. The central region, including the
Shanghai and Yangtze rivers, has almost continuous rainfall, hot humid summers,
and cold winters. The south is subtropical, with wet humid summers from April to
September, and typhoons on the south-east coast between July and September.
Overall, the best time to visit is the spring, starting in the south and working north
or west as summer approaches; or the autumn, starting in the north and working
southwards.
India: The climate of south
India is similar to that of South-East Asia: warm and humid. The southwest
monsoon brings the rainy season to most parts of India, starting in the southwest
and spreading north and east from mid-May through June. Assam has an
extremely heavy rainfall during monsoon seasons. Generally speaking, the period
from November to April is the best time to visit. From April until the start of the
southwest monsoon, the northern Indian plains are extremely hot, though the
northern hill stations provide a pleasant alternative until the start of the monsoon
rains. These places usually have a severe winter.
Japan: Japan lies in the
northern temperate zone. Spring and autumn are the best times for a visit. With the
exception of Hokkaido, the large cities are extremely hot in summer. Hokkaido is
very cold in winter. Seasonal vacation periods, especially school holidays, should
be avoided if one is going to enjoy visiting temples, palaces and the like in relative
comfort.
Korea: Located in the northern
temperate zone, with spring and autumn the best times for touring. The deep blue
skies of late September/October and early November, along with the warm sunny
days and cool evenings, are among Korea's most beautiful
natural assets. Though it tends to be rather windy, spring is also a very pleasant
time for a Korean visit. There is a short but pronounced wet season starting
towards the end of June and lasting into early August. Over 50 per cent of the
year's rain falls during this period and it is usually very hot and
humid.
Malaysia: There are no marked
wet or dry seasons in Malaysia. October to January is the wettest period on the
east coast, October/November on the west coast. Sabah has an equable tropical
climate, October and April/May are usually the best times for a visit. Sarawak is
seldom uncomfortably hot but is apt to be extremely wet. Typhoons are almost
unknown in East Malaysia.
Nepal: March is pleasant, as
this is when all the rhododendrons are in bloom. The monsoon rains begin in April.
Thailand: Hot, tropical climate
with high humidity. Best time for touring is from November to February. March to
May is extremely hot and the wet season arrives with the southwest monsoon
during June and lasts until October.
Singapore: Like Malaysia,
Singapore has no pronounced wet or dry season. The even, constant heat is
mitigated by sea breezes. The frequent rain showers have a negligible cooling
effect.
Philippines: The Philippines
have a similar climate to Thailand. The best time to travel in the islands is during
the dry season, November to March. March to May is usually dry and extremely
hot. The southwest monsoon brings the rain from May to November. The islands
north of Samar through Luzon are prone to be affected by typhoons during the
period July to September. The Visayas Islands, Mindanao and Palawan, are
affected to a lesser degree by the southwest monsoon and it is still possible to
travel comfortably during the wet season south of Samar Island -
long sunny periods are usually interspersed with heavy rain showers.
Sri Lanka: The southwest
monsoon brings rain from May to August in Colombo and in the southwest
generally, while the northeast monsoon determines the rainy season from
November to February in the northeast. The most popular time for a visit is during
the northern hemisphere's winter.
Australasia
Australia: For such a vast land
mass, there are few variations in the weather here. A crescent-shaped rain belt
follows the coast to provide a habitable stretch around the enormous semi-desert
Outback. The Snowy Mountains in the east do, as their name suggests, have
significant snowfalls, although even here it does not lie long. The east is the
wettest part of the country, owing to trade winds that blow off the Pacific. The
rainfall pattern varies throughout the country: the north and northeast have definite
summer rains between November and April, the south and west have winter rains,
while in the east and southeast the rains fall year-round. Tropical cyclones with
high winds and torrential rain occur fairly frequently in the northeast and northwest.
Tasmania, further south and more mountainous than the mainland, has a
temperate climate similar to Britain's.
New Zealand: Although at a different latitude,
the great expanse of water around New Zealand gives it a maritime climate similar
to Britain's. The far north has a sub-tropical climate with mild
winters and warm, humid summers. There are year-round snow fields in the south,
and snow falls on most areas in winter.
Although the weather is changeable, there is a surprising amount of sunshine, making
this country ideal for most outdoor activities. The best time to visit is from
December to March, at the height of summer.
Papua New Guinea: The climate here is a
fairly standard tropical one: hot and wet all year, although the time and amount of
the rains are greatly influenced by the high mountains that run the length of the
country. The rains are heavy, but not continuous. While the coast tends to be
humid, the highlands are pleasant.
Europe
Only in the far north and those areas a long way from the sea does the climate in
Europe get to be extreme. In northern Scandinavia and some of the inland eastern
countries such as Bulgaria, there are long, bitterly cold winters with heavy snow
and, at times, arctic temperatures. In western Europe the snow tends to settle only
for a few days at a time. In Britain, the Benelux countries and Germany, winter is
characterised chiefly by continuous cloud cover, with rain or sleet. In the Alps,
heavy snow showers tend to alternate with brilliant sunshine, offering ideal
conditions for winter sports. There are four distinct seasons, and while good
weather cannot be guaranteed during any of them, all are worth seeing. Summer is
generally short, and the temperature varies widely from one year to the next,
climbing at times to match that of the Mediterranean.
For sun worshippers, the Mediterranean is probably the ideal location, hot for much of
the year but rarely too hot or humid to be unbearable. Rain falls in short, sharp
bursts, unlike the continuous drizzle to be found further north. Winter is mild and
snow rare.
Middle East
A large proportion of this area is desert: flat, low-lying land with virtually no rain and
some of the hottest temperatures on earth. Humidity is high along the coast and
travellers should beware of heat exhaustion and even heat stroke. What little rain
there is falls between November and March. To the north, in Iran and Iraq, the
desert gives way to the great steppes, which are prone to extremes of heat and
cold, with rain in winter and spring.
Melting snow from the surrounding mountains causes spectacular floods from March
to May. The climate is considerably more pleasant in the Mediterranean areas, with
long, hot, sunny summers and mild, wet winters. The coast is humid, but even this
is tempered by steady sea breezes. The only really unpleasant aspect of the
climate here is the hot, dry and dusty desert wind which blows at the beginning and
end of summer.
