Climate zones in Libya, 1991 to 2020
Share of Libya's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 2,128,450 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 1,625,659 km²).
By major group: B (arid) 100%, C (temperate) 0.4%.
Almost all of Libya is one climate: BWh, hot desert, which covers 98% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020. In plain terms, hot desert means very dry and hot. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 1% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to BWh (hot desert).
How Libya's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 1.2% | 0% | BWh +0.8 percentage points | BSk -0.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 0.6% | 0.1% | BWh +0.2 percentage points | BSk -0.1 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 1% | 0.2% | BWh +0.6 percentage points | BSh -0.3 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 1.7% | 0.3% | BWh +1.3 percentage points | BSh -0.8 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BWh Hot desert | 97% | 98% | 98% | 99% | 99% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 0.6% | 0.1% | - | - | - |
| BWk Cold desert | 0.3% | - | - | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Libya and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Tripoli | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Benghazi | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
Zones found in Libya
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was BWh. See data sources and licences.