Climate zones in Sudan, 1991 to 2020
Share of Sudan's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 2,258,647 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 1,861,135 km²).
By major group: B (arid) 94%, A (tropical) 6.1%, C (temperate) 0.1%.
BWh, hot desert, is the main climate of Sudan, covering 75% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with BSh (hot semi-arid (steppe)) next at 19%. In plain terms, hot desert means very dry and hot. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 3.4% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to BSh (hot semi-arid (steppe)).
How Sudan'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) | 4% | 2.2% | BWh +1.3 percentage points | BSh -2.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 2.5% | 1.2% | BSh +1.2 percentage points | BWh -1.2 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 3.4% | 1.4% | BSh +1.5 percentage points | BWh -2 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 7.4% | 3.3% | Aw +3.2 percentage points | BWh -4 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 | 73% | 75% | 73% | 73% | 71% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 22% | 19% | 21% | 21% | 20% |
| Aw Tropical savannah | 4.9% | 6.1% | 6.2% | 6.6% | 9.3% |
| Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter | 0.1% | - | 0.1% | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Sudan and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Khartoum | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Omdurman | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Khartoum North | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
Zones found in Sudan
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.