The weather in Madagascar varies and depends on the location of a particular area of the island. The average annual coastal temperature is 26 ° C. In the metropolitan area, it is lower and barely reaches 18 ° C. It is believed that the hottest parts of the island are Bemaraha and the western extremity. The thermometer column at these edges reaches 34 ° C.
general characteristics
The climate of Madagascar is characterized by pronounced monsoon and tropical features. As such, there are no prolonged rainy seasons on the island. The coldest areas are located in the mountains. Frosts occur at the tops of ridges. The weather in these parts is strikingly different from that prevailing on the African continent. It is formed by anticyclones arriving from India, and air masses coming from Southeast Asia.
Seasons
The climate of Madagascar has four seasons. The average daily winter temperature is 24 ° C. In this case, the ocean warms up to 30 ° C. Hot days are accompanied by heavy rains. Showers are in the eastern part of the island. The center has a high level of humidity. And only in the south the bright sun almost always shines in January.
In spring, the ocean cools down. He begins to worry, and the volume of plankton increases markedly. Easy prey attracts flocks of predatory fish to the coastal zone. From March to mid-May, rains continue to rain in the east and in the center of the island. In these parts of Madagascar, the climate differs from the weather at the resorts with an abundance of foggy days.
Summer nights in the island's capital are cool. The air cools to 10 ° C. Rains give way to strong winds that attract hundreds of windsurfers on the coast. In August, lagoons remote from tourist recreations become the venue for whale mating games.
In autumn, rains begin again, gray clouds cover the sky. The relatively dry period lasts until the end of October. The climate of Madagascar during the off-season is characterized by an abundance of rainfall.
Factors
The variety of temperature conditions is explained by the geographical position of the island. It lies between 12 and 25 ° south latitude. At this point, the transition from dry subtropics to moist equatorial conditions is most pronounced. Plus, the mountain ranges that divide the island are perpendicular to the vector of weather-forming cyclones. Open areas are not protected from the effects of moist monsoon currents that come from the Indian Ocean.
The description of the climate in Madagascar confirms that the part of the island closed to the winds does not receive such a volume of precipitation. Winds blowing from the African continent are characterized by a minimum concentration of moisture. The mosaic nature of the temperature zones is due to the length of the island. Even the weather conditions of the open coastal areas, which occupy the opposite ends of Madagascar, have a lot of differences. The difference in air temperature can reach 5 ° C.
Regional features
The climate of the island of Madagascar in the north has a pronounced equatorial character. The maximum values of air temperature in this part of the land occur in March and December. The closer to the south, the more moderate it becomes, with one temperature maximum observed in January.
In the West, rain showers are contributing to the formation of weather conditions. In the vicinity of Mazzunga, the humidity level reaches its maximum in December. Winter precipitation provokes a significant decrease in air temperature. The most sultry region on the island is traditionally considered the Bemaraha plateau.
The higher the mountains rise, the colder it becomes on their slopes. When the thermometer in Tuamasin shows 24 ° C, in Antananarivo it is held at 17 ° C. In Andringitra, frosts are possible, which are accompanied by snowfall. According to the classification of Mora, meteorologists distinguish five modes of climatic conditions that operate on the island:
- excessively wet;
- moderately wet;
- not wet enough;
- moderately arid;
- arid.
Excessively wet
The description of the climate of Madagascar island of this type should begin with the fact that it is characteristic of the regions that are in the east. In the area of the settlements of Antalach and Maroucenter, up to 2,000 mm of precipitation falls annually. As such, there is practically no dry season; its maximum length is three weeks. High in the mountains, this parameter reaches two months. The average annual temperature is 24 ° C.
To give a comprehensive description and description of the climate of the island of Madagascar, make a diagram, guided by the geographical location of the main zones. The hottest days are observed in areas that are located at a low altitude. On the slopes in the area of Tsaratanan, cold winds prevail. A similar temperature regime prevails in the Marujesi region, as well as in the Ankaratra region.
Wet
Any plan for describing the climate of Madagascar includes a paragraph describing the weather in the Sambiranu region. The wet type stretches to the coast of the Vuhemar Bay. It also includes the eastern zone of the High Plateau. In this part of the island, the average annual rainfall reaches 2,000 mm. The dry season is pronounced and long. It lasts about six months.
The average air temperature in the mountains is 14 ° , in the lowland it reaches 26 ° . The hottest areas are located on the ocean coast. Antananarivo is relatively cool. In the vicinity of Antsirabe, night frosts are possible.
Not wet enough
This type of climate of Madagascar, according to the plan and classification of Mora, predominates in the western part and the northern region of the island. It includes the western end of the High Plateau. The average annual rainfall in these parts reaches 1,500 mm. The dry season is pronounced. It lasts more than six months. The average temperature minimum is 17 ° C, the maximum reaches 28 ° C.
Moderately arid
This type is inherent in the lands of the Cap d'Ambre Peninsula, the southern and southwestern regions of Madagascar. The maximum rainfall is 900 mm. The dry period exceeds seven months. The average annual temperature of the atmosphere is 25 ° C. The absolute record was 44 ° .
Arid
Territories with an arid type of climate include the regions of Murumbe, Sainte Marie and the vicinity of Tulear. In these places, up to 350 mm of precipitation falls annually, but the rains are irregular. The average air temperature is 26 ° C. But the atmosphere can warm up to 40 ° C. Such sultry days are characteristic of the thirty-kilometer strip of the coast, which stretches from Tulear to Murumbe.
Shrubs grow in this part of the island, among which there are tree-like representatives of the Euphorbia and Didieri family. In the vicinity of Cape Sainte Marie, the trees took a horizontal position. Together, they form a unique carpet of closely interconnected trunks. The main destructive factor that causes great damage to the flora of the coast, are tropical cyclones.
Animal world
About half of all species of mammals that live in Madagascar are recognized as endemic. We are talking about foss, wyverrah, tenreks and lemurs. The latter are the hallmark of the island. More than a hundred species of birds inhabit land. There are dozens of breeds of turtles, day geckos and chameleons.