Hot Climates I

Hot climates are generally found within the tropical zone , the belt of the Earth lying between the Tropic of CancerThis line of latitude is located 23°30' north of the equator. The Sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Cancer on the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere (June 20 or... More (23.5° N) and the Tropic of CapricornThis is a line of latitude located at 23°30' south. The Sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Capricorn on the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere (Dec. 20 or 21).... More (23.5° S) . In this region, high temperatures are experienced throughout the year due to the almost direct overhead position of the sun. However, not all hot climates are the same—this zone contains several distinct types, including:

• Equatorial Climate (Tropical Rainforest Climate)
• Equatorial MonsoonA monsoon is a seasonal wind that reverses its direction between summer and winter, often bringing heavy rains in one season and dry conditions in the other. Example: In South Asia,... More
• Tropical Marine
• Tropical Monsoon
• Tropical Continental
• Tropical Savanna Climate (Sudan Climate)
• Tropical Desert (Hot Desert)

Equatorial Climate (Tropical Rainforest Climate):

Location: The equatorial climate is found in lowland areas between 5° N and 5° S of the equatorThe Equator is Zero degrees (0°) latitude. The Sun is directly overhead the equator at noon on the two equinoxes (March and Sept. 20 or 21). The equator divides the globe... More. Examples include the Amazon Basin in South America, the Congo Basin in Central Africa, south-western and south-central Ghana , the eastern coast of the Malagasy Republic (Madagascar) , the western coast of Nigeria , and Monrovia in Liberia .

Most of this belt lies under the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) , also called the doldrums . In this zone, warm air rises, creating low pressure and causing heavy convectional rainfall