Climate zones in Peru, 1991 to 2020
Share of Peru's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 1,530,839 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 1,293,803 km²).
By major group: A (tropical) 55%, E (polar) 19%, B (arid) 15%, C (temperate) 12%.
Peru has no single dominant climate. The biggest zone, Af (tropical rainforest), covers only 41% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, followed by ET (19%) and Am (11%). 9 zones each cover 1% or more of it. In plain terms, tropical rainforest means hot, wet and green every month of the year. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 16% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Cwb (subtropical highland (dry winter)).
How Peru'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) | 7.1% | 2.9% | Cwb +1 percentage point | Cfb -1.4 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 12% | 5.5% | Am +1.3 percentage points | ET -2.3 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 16% | 9.1% | Cwb +2.8 percentage points | ET -5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 24% | 16% | Cwb +6 percentage points | ET -9.7 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Af Tropical rainforest | 40% | 41% | 42% | 42% | 43% |
| ET Tundra | 20% | 19% | 17% | 14% | 9.1% |
| Am Tropical monsoon | 10% | 11% | 12% | 12% | 12% |
| BWh Hot desert | 8.6% | 8.9% | 9.3% | 9.8% | 10% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 7.3% | 5.9% | 5.7% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | 4.2% | 5.2% | 6% | 8% | 11% |
| BWk Cold desert | 4% | 3.5% | 2% | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Aw Tropical savannah | 3% | 3.3% | 3% | 3.8% | 5% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 2.2% | 2% | 2.3% | 2.2% | 2% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 0.4% | 0.6% | 1.1% | 1.2% | 1.4% |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 0.9% |
| Cwc Cold subtropical highland (dry winter) | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Peru and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Lima | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Callao | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Arequipa | BWk Cold desert | BWk Cold desert |
| Trujillo | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Piura | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Chiclayo | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
Zones found in Peru
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.