|
|
|
|
 |
The climate of Peru varies widely, ranging from tropical in the Montaña to Arctic in the Andes. Average temperatures decrease about 3°F (1.7°C) with every 1,500ft (450m) increase in elevation. Permanent snow and ice cover most peaks over 16,500ft (5,000m). In the coastal plain the temperature is more moderate, averaging 68°F (20°C) year-round. The coast receives less than 2 in (50 mm) of precipitation each year. In the Sierra the temperature ranges from 20° to 70°F (-7° to 21°C). Rainfall is usually scare, but in isolated areas between October to April it can dump. In Cuzco, in the southeastern sierra, annual rainfall averages some 32in (815 mm). The more exposed slopes of the Andes can receive more than 100in (2,500 mm) of rain each year. As you move southward, rain fall decreases. The Montaña region is extremely hot and humid. Annual rainfall in some localities averages as much as 150in (3,810 mm). Most of this rain, which principally falls from November through April, eventually drains back to the montaña. Peru’s climate periodically experiences a weather pattern known as El Niño. El Niño occurs every three to seven years when unusually warm ocean conditions appear along the western coast. During El Niño the wet weather conditions normally present in the western Pacific move to the east, bringing heavy rains that can cause extensive flooding.
 |
Learn Spanish in Peru: Cusco |
|
 |
|
|
){kind=link}