The subtropical climate zone is located between thirty and forty degrees south and north of the equator. In some places, it can go even higher, but these are exceptions caused by the features of the relief and other factors. The belt is located between the temperate and tropical climate zones, which has a significant impact on it. It is believed that it was in areas of the globe with such conditions (since they are the most comfortable for living and agriculture) that the birth of mankind took place.
Geography
As mentioned above, the subtropical belt runs relatively close to the equator. Therefore, it is not surprising that the climate within its limits is very warm. It is typical for the following regions of the Earth: the Mediterranean, the north of New Zealand, almost completely the United States of America, as well as the south of Australia and the southern part of Russia. It is also found in certain regions of Africa and Asia (for example, in Japan).
Features and types
As the main type of subtropical climate, the Mediterranean is usually distinguished. It is typical for the western coasts of the continents. There is also a monsoon subtropical. It is distributed mainly on the east coast.
The subtropics of Africa have their own characteristics. As the name implies, a typical Mediterranean subtropical climate is typical for areas adjacent to the sea of the same name. It also occurs in some parts of the United States, such as California. Basically, this is the coast of such seas as the Aegean, Black, Adriatic, Tyrrhenian, Azov, and also Marmara.
Distinctive features of the subtropical climate are warm (often hot) dry summers. This is primarily due to the hot air that comes from the tropics. It seems to “hang” over the wet sea, and makes the probability of precipitation almost zero. Winters are cool, with significant precipitation. And this is due to the northern air masses. They come from temperate latitudes, and, cooling in the south, fall in the form of rain and sleet. But this is typical, rather, for the coast. Inside the continents, there is little precipitation even in winter. The latter often fall in the form of snow in the subtropics, but no cover is formed. There are, of course, anomalies.
The average summer temperature in the subtropical zone is 30-35 degrees above zero. In winter, at night, however, it can drop to minus four. Despite this, temperature differences are relatively small.
Let's not forget about the difference in seasons in the hemispheres. And if it's coldest in the northtime is January and February, then in the south - July and August. The same can be said for summer.
Subtropical climate in Russia
In this area are the North Caucasian republics, the Lower Volga region, as well as the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. On the administrative map of Russia, they are all included in the Southern Federal District. In addition, these are the so-called subtropics of Russia.
The climate here, however, varies. And the reason for this is the high Caucasus mountains. In winter, they do not let the winds that blow from Kazakhstan and Georgia. So at this time in the Lower Volga region dominated by air masses coming from other places.
In summer, the Caucasus also retains moisture from the Atlantic, due to which a significant amount of precipitation falls on its foothills. The same is happening in the Crimea. The least precipitation falls on the Lower Volga region and the Don basin - from about 200 to 300 millimeters a year. And most of them are in the Sochi region - more than 2000 mm.
The southern regions of Russia are characterized by long, warm summers and short, not cold winters. In some places, the latter is completely absent. So, there is practically no climatic winter in Sochi and in the southern part of Crimea.
The temperature regime is different for coastal zones and areas located inland. So, in winter, the temperature of the coldest month in the north ranges from eight to three with a minus sign. In the more southern republics and on the coast at this time it is not lower than -1 degrees Celsius.
Temperatures also vary in summer. High in the mountains in July, on average +15. ATIn the Krasnodar Territory, the temperature this month is already from +21 to +24. The hottest thing at this time is in the Astrakhan and Volgograd regions. The air there warms up to plus 24-27 degrees Celsius on average. These are the subtropics of Russia.
Mediterranean
Countries and regions with such a subtropical climate are characterized by classic hot summers with low rainfall and warm winters. Snow falls only in the mountains. In general, in summer precipitation may be absent for up to five months. No more than 800 millimeters will fall per year, depending on the region.
Temperatures in summer are generally high. And only in places it is reduced by sea air. Winter temperatures rarely drop below freezing.
Africa
The north and southwest of the continent has a subtropical Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and wet winters.
Here the average annual temperature is plus twenty. For example, on the African coast of the Mediterranean Sea, this figure is +28 and +12 degrees Celsius, respectively, for July and January. But in these places, temperature fluctuations over the seasons are more noticeable. Monsoons are already in the southeast. In summer, they draw in moisture from the Indian Ocean. The Dragon Mountains stand in her way. Therefore, it is rainy here all year round, and the climate is subtropical humid.
There is also a lot of precipitation on the southern and northern ends of the mainland. In the first case, their peak is in the winter, in the second - in the summer.
Asia
Here, the subtropical climate is represented in severalvariations. This is the Mediterranean - on the coast of Asia Minor. Moreover, its main features are the same: hot and dry summers plus wet winters. There is little precipitation on the plains, but in the mountains up to three thousand millimeters a year. In the east, there is a subtropical monsoon climate. Its zone includes some of the Japanese islands, part of China and South Korea. Here precipitation is more evenly distributed within the calendar year. However, most of them will fall in warm weather. These areas have hot summers and rather cool winters. The latter is connected with the continental monsoon, which drives Siberian cold masses here.
But for the central part of Asia Minor, the climate is rather subtropical continental. In some areas, annual temperature fluctuations reach ninety degrees. This is observed, for example, in the Near Asian highlands. It is very cold there in winter, and in summer the air warms up, as in the tropics. Moreover, there is very little precipitation: from 100 to 400 millimeters will fall in a year, depending on the place.
Based on all of the above, we can conclude that the subtropical climate is very different. And although it has the main features characteristic of its latitudes, in some places it will seem not at all as comfortable as in the Mediterranean resorts.
