Climate zones in New Caledonia, 1991 to 2020
Share of New Caledonia's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 22,832 map cells used cover 97% of the country's outline (about 18,263 km²).
By major group: A (tropical) 78%, C (temperate) 23%.
New Caledonia has no single dominant climate. The biggest zone, Aw (tropical savannah), covers only 27% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, followed by Am (26%) and Af (25%). 5 zones each cover 1% or more of it. In plain terms, tropical savannah means hot all year, with a clear dry season. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 40% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Aw (tropical savannah).
How New Caledonia'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) | 39% | 4.4% | Aw +13.8 percentage points | Af -16 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 30% | 8.7% | Aw +9.5 percentage points | Cfa -6.1 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 40% | 15% | Aw +10.9 percentage points | Cfa -11 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 50% | 19% | Am +17.1 percentage points | Cfa -15.3 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aw Tropical savannah | 13% | 27% | 36% | 38% | 40% |
| Am Tropical monsoon | 20% | 26% | 29% | 36% | 43% |
| Af Tropical rainforest | 41% | 25% | 21% | 18% | 14% |
| Cfa Humid subtropical | 22% | 18% | 12% | 7.4% | 3.1% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 4.9% | 3.5% | 1.3% | 0.4% | - |
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | - | 0.6% | 0.2% | - | - |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | - | 0.1% | - | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Zones found in New Caledonia
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Af. See data sources and licences.