Subtropical steppe climate (BSh)
Also called: Low-latitude semi-arid climate · Topic: World Climate Classification: Koeppen's Scheme · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 11 "World Climate and Climate Change"
Meaning
The subtropical steppe climate (BSh), also called the low-latitude semi-arid climate, lies between about 15° and 35° on the edges of hot deserts. It gets a little more rain than the desert, enough for sparse grassland. It is hot, with an annual mean of 18°C or more. The rain changes a lot from year to year, so droughts and famines are common. The Sahel of Africa suffered a long drought from 1967 to 1977.
Example
The semi-arid parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana, and the rain-shadow lands east of the Western Ghats, are marked BShw on Koeppen's map of India.
Don't confuse with
- Subtropical desert (BWh): BWh is drier and is true desert rather than grassland.
- Mid-latitude steppe (BSk): BSk lies further from the equator (35°-60°) and has cold winters.
Related concepts
- Dry climates (B)
- Subtropical desert climate (BWh)
- Coastal desert
- Mid-latitude steppe climate (BSk)
- Mid-latitude desert climate (BWk)