Climate zones in Zimbabwe, 1991 to 2020
Share of Zimbabwe's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 481,218 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 390,521 km²).
By major group: B (arid) 67%, C (temperate) 31%, A (tropical) 1.3%.
BSh, hot semi-arid (steppe), is the main climate of Zimbabwe, covering 65% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with Cwa (humid subtropical with dry winter) next at 23%. In plain terms, hot semi-arid (steppe) means dry and hot, but with enough rain for grass. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 23% 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 Zimbabwe'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) | 20% | 13% | BSh +9 percentage points | Cwb -6.8 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 16% | 9.7% | BSh +6.3 percentage points | Cwb -6.8 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 23% | 16% | BSh +10.9 percentage points | Cwb -7.8 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 34% | 27% | BSh +21.2 percentage points | Cwa -17 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 56% | 65% | 72% | 76% | 87% |
| Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter | 27% | 23% | 22% | 16% | 5.6% |
| Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | 15% | 8.6% | 1.9% | 0.8% | 0.1% |
| BWh Hot desert | 0.3% | 2% | 2.3% | 2.9% | 4.3% |
| Aw Tropical savannah | 0.4% | 1.3% | 2.1% | 3.8% | 3.5% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 0.1% | - | - | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Zimbabwe and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Harare | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter |
| Bulawayo | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
Zones found in Zimbabwe
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was BSh. See data sources and licences.