Subtropical desert climate (BWh)
Also called: Hot desert climate · Topic: World Climate Classification: Koeppen's Scheme · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 11 "World Climate and Climate Change"
Meaning
The subtropical desert climate (BWh), also called the hot desert climate, lies between about 15° and 35° under the subtropical high-pressure belts. There, sinking air and a temperature inversion stop rain from forming. A temperature inversion is a layer where the air near the ground is colder than the air above it. Rain is scanty and highly variable. It falls in short, heavy showers that do not soak the soil. The annual mean temperature is 18°C or more, and both the yearly and the daily temperature ranges are large.
Example
Western Rajasthan, part of the Thar Desert, is BWhw. Other examples are the Sahara, Arabia, the Kalahari and the Great Australian deserts. The world's highest accepted temperature, 56.7°C, was recorded at Furnace Creek, Death Valley, USA, on 10 July 1913.
Don't confuse with
- Subtropical steppe (BSh): BSh lies on the desert edges and gets a little more rain, enough for sparse grassland.
Related concepts
- Dry climates (B)
- Subtropical steppe climate (BSh)
- Coastal desert
- Mid-latitude steppe climate (BSk)
- Mid-latitude desert climate (BWk)