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Climate of Peru |
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Amazon Basin of Peru: The eastern border of Peru includes the Amazon Basin or selva baja, a region that is larger in the north than in the south. Representing roughly 60% of Peru's national territory, this area includes the Amazon, Maranon, Huallaga and Ucayali Rivers. Comprised of a vast tropical forest and countless rivers and streams, rainfall varies from 2000 to 4000 mm per year.
Temperatures rarely go below the 19 C°, and on occasions the temperature can rise over the 42°C. The average temperature is 28 °C. Important urban centers in this biologically and culturally diverse region include Iquitos and Yurimaguas in the Loreto Region, Pucallpa in Ucayali, and to the south Puerto Maldonado in Madre de Dios.
High Amazon of Peru: The High Amazon or selva alta is found on the eastern slopes of the Andes. This region is one of the wettest places on earth due to the tropical effects and the falling Andes rivers. Annual rainfall ranges from 3,000 to 15,000 mm. The average temperature is 24 C°. Temperatures are less suffocating than the Amazon Basin yet it can go over 35°C and as low as 15°C. Temperatures rarely go below the 19 C°, and on occasions the temperature can rise over the 42°C. The average temperature is 28 °C. Important urban centers in this biologically and culturally diverse region include Iquitos and Yurimaguas in the Loreto Region, Pucallpa in Ucayali, and to the south Puerto Maldonado in Madre de Dios.
Andean Mountain Ranges of Peru: The Andes shelter the largest variety of climates in the country. The climate is semi-arid in the valleys and moist in higher elevations and towards the eastern flanks. Rainfall varies from 200 to 1500 mm per year. The rainy season starts in October and ends in April. The rainiest months are January through March where travel can be sometimes affected. The western slopes are arid to semi-arid and receive rainfall only between January and March. Below 2500m, the temperatures vary between 5 and 15 °C in the night versus 18 to 25 °C in the day. Between 2500 and 3500 meters the temperatures vary from 0 to 12 °C in the night and from 15 to 25 °C during the day. At higher elevations from 3500 to 4500 meters, the Puna ecoregion, the temperature varies from −10 to 8 °C during the night versus 15 °C during the day.
Central & Southern Coast of Peru: The central and southern coastal have a subtropical desert climate. Even though the region is located at tropical latitudes, the Humboldt Current is 7°C to 8°C, colder than normal tropical seas of 14 to 19 °C. This fact affects the coastal terrain preventing high tropical temperatures from appearing, and since the Andes mountains tend to be closer to the coast it also prevents Amazon clouds to appear, creating a shade effect with few annual rainfalls until you reach the northern coast. Rainfall averages 5 mm/yr near the Chilean border to 200 mm/yr in the northern coast and near the Andes.
Map of Peru
