The temperate zone is a natural zone that covers a significant part of the land of the Northern Hemisphere and vast areas of the Southern Hemisphere. These latitudes are considered the main climatic zone, and not transitional, because their ranges are very extensive. In such areas, there are sharp changes in temperature, pressure and air humidity, and it does not matter whether we are talking about land or a separate part of the water area. Read below about what exactly characterizes the temperate zone, what kind of weather it has and what its features are.
Short description
Temperate latitudes are the most extensive natural zone on our planet. They occupy 25 percent of the entire surface of the earth, which is several times larger than the area of any other climatic zone. In the Northern Hemisphere, the temperate climate zone is located between 40 and 65 degrees north latitude. In the South, it is located between 42 and 58 degrees south latitude. In addition, it is worth noting that in the north this natural zone stretchesmostly along the land. 55 percent of the territory is the continents, and the rest is the waters of the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean. In the Southern Hemisphere, the temperate zone occupies only 2 percent of the land, and the remaining 98 are the waters of the oceans.
Air temperature and its fluctuations
The main feature of this zone are sharp seasonal changes in temperature. There are very cold winters and very hot summers, and between them there are two transitional seasons - spring and autumn, which are found only in these latitudes. Winter temperatures in the temperate zone are always below freezing. The closer to one of the poles we are, the lower the thermometer gives us. On average, the air cools down to -10. In summer, on the contrary, the temperature does not fall below +15 in any regions (with the exception of weather anomalies). Closer to the subtropics, there are temperature maxima of +35 and more above zero. It is always cool at the borders of the subpolar zone - no more than +20.
Humidity and its fluctuations
The climate of the temperate zone largely depends on the air pressure, which is formed here due to cyclones coming from the land and waters of the oceans. The average annual rainfall here is 500 mm. At the same time, it is worth highlighting separate zones - especially dry and especially wet. For example, zones of dynamic minimum are formed near the coasts of seas and oceans. Here the pressure is low, and the amount of precipitation reaches 2000 mm per year. In the depths of the continents (North America, Eurasia), mostareas prone to drought. It is always hot in summer, because the amount of precipitation that falls here is no more than 200 mm.
Northern Hemisphere
As we have already found out, the northern temperate zone is 55% land and 45% water between 40 and 65 degrees. But this does not mean at all that each geographic point falling within this range is exactly the same as all the others in terms of its weather conditions. Since the extension from north to south is very large, the weather in higher latitudes will be more severe than in those close to the equator. In the Northern Hemisphere, the temperate zone is divided into 4 subspecies: maritime climate, temperate continental, sharply continental and monsoon. Now let's take a closer look at each of them.
Marine climate
This subtype is located above the surface of the oceans, as well as in coastal areas (New York, London). This zone is characterized by the lowest amplitude of temperature fluctuations during the year. Winter here is abnormally warm: extremely rarely the thermometer drops below zero. Permanent snow cover also does not form during the cold season: snow and frost are rare and do not stay on the ground for long. It should be noted that the summer here is by no means hot. When in the more northern zones the temperature rises to the limit, tiring everyone with heat, it is relatively cool here - no more than 22 degrees above zero. The annual rainfall here is maximum - up to 2000 mm.
Temperate continentalclimate
This is a type of temperate zone, which is located deep in the continents, away from the seas and oceans. It is characterized by very hot summers - up to +28 and frosty winters - more than 12 degrees below zero. It is always dry here, the amount of precipitation is minimal - up to 300 mm. Most of the territories covered by this natural zone are steppes and semi-steppes in Eurasia and North America. Here, during the winter, a constant snow cover and frosts form. In summer, light winds, intermittent rains and light cloudiness occur.
Sharply continental climate
In this subzone, the temperate climate zone borders on the subarctic, which largely affects its weather conditions. In addition, another of its features is that it is located far from external waters, because it is extremely dry here - no more than 200 mm per year. In summer it is very cool and windy here. The temperature rarely rises above +19. However, this is compensated by a large number of sunny days due to low cloudiness. The summer itself is short, the cold comes literally in the second half of August. It is very cold in winter and the ground is covered with snow throughout the season. Temperatures drop below -30 and snow clouds often form over the area.
Monsoon climate
In some very insignificant areas in terms of their parameters, the temperate zone intercepts the monsoons. These are winds that form mainly in tropical zones and rarely reach such high latitudes. The temperature fluctuations here are small, but the humidityoscillates very strongly. The main feature is that the summer is very humid, and in winter not a single drop falls from the sky. The type of weather is anticyclone, with a sharp change in pressure and wind direction.
