CLIMATE ZONES

1 CLIMATE ZONES

The mixture of weather of a region is called its climate. Climate tells us what kind of weather usually happens in an area at different times of the year.

CLIMATIC ZONES

Temperate climates have four seasons. Most of the European countries have temperate climates. The summers are warm but not hot and the winters are cold. In autumn the leaves change colours and fall from the trees.

In areas with tropical climates it is hot all year round and there are only two seasons; a dry season and a wet season. In India and Western Africa, it is characterized by the monsoon.

2 The Mediterranean climate is hot and dry in the summer. Winters are rainy but warm. A Mediterranean climate is found in regions bordering the Mediterranean Sea, and in Australia and California, USA.

The areas of mountain climate generally have colder winters and milder summers. Due to higher elevation, the temperature is generally lower, the main form of precipitation is snow, often accompanied by stronger winds.

Polar climates are cold and dry, with long, dark winters. It is characteristic of the northern coasts of America, Europe and Asia such as Greenland and the Antarctic.

The Earth’s deserts are hot and dry all year round, and usually receive less than 250 mm of rainfall a year. Deserts are often found in the centre of continents, far from the sea.

3 1)Write the climatic zone next to the correct definition.

a)Polar b)Temperate c)Arid

d)Tropical e)Mediterranean f)Mountains

1) very cold 2) cold winters all year and warm summers 3) dry, hot all 4) hot and wet year all year

5) mild 6) cold all winters, dry year hot summers

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