ARCH 516 : TROPICAL DESIGN Ar. Amirah Krisha C. Casas CLIMATE - the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period - long-term average of weather, typically averaged over a period of 30 years Some of the meteorological variables that are commonly measured are • Temperature • Humidity • Atmospheric Pressure • Wind • Precipitation Differentiate: Climate periods of time. is the term for the averaging of atmospheric conditions over longer Weather refers to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity. The climate depends on several interrelated factors: • Latitude • Longitude • Elevation • Topography • Proximity to the sea In the late 1800s and early 1900s a German climate scientist named Wladimir Koppen divided the world's climates into categories. His categories were based on the temperature, the amount of precipitation, and the times of year when precipitation occurs. The categories were also influenced by a region’s latitude—the imaginary lines used to measure our Earth from north to south from the equator. Today, climate scientists split the Earth into approximately five main types of climates. They are: A: Tropical. In this hot and humid zone, the average temperatures are greater than 64°F (18°C) year-round and there is more than 59 inches of precipitation each year. B: Dry. These climate zones are so dry because moisture is rapidly evaporated from the air and there is very little precipitation. C: Temperate. In this zone, there are typically warm and humid summers with thunderstorms and mild winters. D. Continental. These regions have warm to cool summers and very cold winters. In the winter, this zone can experience snowstorms, strong winds, and very cold temperatures—sometimes falling below -22°F (-30°C)! E: Polar. In the polar climate zones, it’s extremely cold. Even in summer, the temperatures here never go higher than 50°F (10°C)! This is roughly where those climate zones appear on a globe: CLIMATE CLASSIFICATION Group A: Tropical Climate a. Tropical wet. It is a warm climate but with regular rain: the annual rainfall exceeds 150 centimetres. Temperatures vary little throughout the year. b. Tropical wet and dry. It is also known as tropical savannah. In this case, temperatures vary moderately, but they are usually warm to hot. CLIMATE CLASSIFICATION Group B: Dry Climate a. Arid. Summers are hot, and winters are cool or warm. Rainfall is low. b. Semiarid. Although it is a hot climate, it is more moderate than the arid climate. Regions with this climate fall between those with an arid climate and tropical climates. CLIMATE CLASSIFICATION Group C: Moderate Climate a. Mediterranean. It is warm to hot climate. While winters are rainy, summers are dry. b. Humid Subtropical. Regions with this climate are usually in the eastern part of the continents. They experience hot, humid summers and colder winters. Precipitations have a regular distribution throughout the year, but hurricanes are common. c. Marine West Coast. They are in the western areas of the continents where the wind direction is from the sea to land. Winters range from cold to temperate, and summers are warm, with moderate rainfall most of the year. Examples of cities with this climate: Seattle, USA and Wellington, New Zealand. CLIMATE CLASSIFICATION Group D: Continental Climate a. Humid Continental. Regions with this climate have moderate to hot summers and cold winters. Throughout the year, the temperature difference can range from – 3°C to 22°C. Most of Eastern Europe has a humid continental climate. b. Subarctic. An area with this climate has cool summers and cold winters. Most of the rainfall occurs during the summer. This climate is present in northern Scandinavia and Siberia. CLIMATE CLASSIFICATION Group E: Polar Climate Low temperatures are the rule throughout the year, although there are variations. a. Tundra. This climate is dry, and permafrost, a layer of ice, regularly covers the soil. It locates in the northern limits of North America, parts of Russia, and of course, the edges of Antarctica. b. Ice cap. It is the coldest weather on Earth, with temperatures that are rarely below freezing point. It is present in Greenland and most of the Antarctic continent. CLIMATE CLASSIFICATION Group H: Highland Climate Sometimes, this climate is included in the above group (E), but other authors consider it as an individual climate (H). It is present at very high altitudes in mountainous terrain. Areas with this climate experience rapid elevation changes, causing rapid climate changes over short distances. CLIMATE OF THE PHILIPPINES TROPICAL AND MARITIME Most important elements of the country’s weather and climate: • TEMPERATURE • HUMIDITY • RAINFALL TEMPERATURE • Mean annual temperature – 26.6 C • January – coolest month; mean temperature of 25.5 C • May – warmest month; mean temperature of 28.3 C • Altitude is inversely proportional to Temperature. • Baguio – Summer Capital of the Philippines – Mean annual temperature of 18.3 C with an elevation of 1,500m HUMIDITY • Refers to the moisture content of the atmosphere • High Relative Humidity - due to high temperature and the surrounding bodies of water • March - 71% average monthly relative humidity • September - 85% average monthly relative humidity • March to May - most uncomfortable months when temperature and humidity attain their maximum levels RAINFALL • Most important climatic element in the Philippines • Mean annual rainfall – varies from 965 to 4,064 mm annually • Baguio City, Eastern Samar, Eastern Surigao- receive the greatest amount of rainfall • Monsoons – large-scale sea breezes which occur when the temperature on land is significantly warmer or cooler than the temperature of the ocean SEASONS • Temperature and Rainfall • Two Major Seasons 1. Rainy Season – from June to November 2. Dry Season – from December to May a. cool dry season – from December to February b. hot dry season – from March to May Distribution of Rainfall • CLIMATE TYPES • Type I Two pronounced seasons: dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year. • Type II No dry season with a pronounced rainfall from November to January. • Type III relatively dry from November to April, and wet Seasons are not very pronounced, during the rest of the year. • Type IV Rainfall is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year. Climate Map of the Philippines
