Desert Climate   Dry Tropical Climate (BW)

The dry desert is in Köppen's BWh climate category. It is a Low Latitude climate. The Bstands for Dry Desert climates. All months have average temperatures over 64° F (18° C). The Wstands for desert climate. Finally, the hstands for dry and hot, with average annual temperatures over 64° F (18° C). I guess they're trying to tell us its hot, hot out there.

The description of this awesome biome climate is quite odd, but also as it is odd, it is also very interesting.

Dry Desert climates are formed by high-pressure zones in which cold air descends. Then the descending air becomes warm but, instead of releasing rain, the heat from the ground evaporates the water before it can come down as rain. The ground is super hot because the sun's rays beat down on it directly overhead. Not a lot of atmosphere to protect it from radiant energy.

By the way, approximately 1 in. (.25 cm) of rain falls in dry deserts per year. The average annual temperature of these miles of hot sand is 64° F (18° C).

The latitude range is 15-28° north and south of the equator. Their global range covers about 1/5 of the earth, including the world's great deserts: Sahara, Sonora, Thar, Kalahari and the Great Australian.

Plants of the Dry Desert have adapted to the lack of water by using dew for moisture and taking in water through their leaves and stems.

Justin S. 2000



Lambert, Wayne. "Desert Land and Climate", World Book Encyclopedia, 1995.

Adams, R. "Desert Life" Academic American Encyclopedia, 1995