To understand what the weather is like in Brazil, we must look at Brazil’s climate. Climate is the pattern of weather over a longer period. Brazil has five distinct environments in different regions: equatorial, tropical, semi-arid, highland tropical, and subtropical. It is because Brazil is a big country with over 3 million square miles! It is the fifth most populated country in the world. The climate of Brazil varies from north to south, although it is largely tropical as most of Brazil lies in the tropics.
The world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon Rainforest, is located in the north of Brazil. Here, the climate is humid and sticky. The interior of Brazil is hot and dry. Brazil is located in the Southern Hemisphere, which means seasons here are the opposite of those in the Northern Hemisphere. Summer is from December to March, and it is colder in the winter from May to September. Read on to learn more about the weather in different parts of Brazil.
Brazil’s cities
Brasilia
Brasilia is the capital of Brazil. There are two seasons in Brasilia: rainy and dry. The climate is that of a tropical savannah. Winters here are very dry, with only about 10mm of rain during the winter months of June, July and August. The summer, however, sees a lot of rain! In November, December and January, there is about 250 mm of rain per month. Average temperatures are about 20 degrees Celsius.
Belém
Located in the north of Brazil, Belém is the closest big city to the mouth of the Amazon River. Belém has a tropical rainforest climate, with average temperatures of 26 degrees Celsius throughout the year. It rains a lot in the city during the year.
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, famous for its Carnival, has very hot and wet weather. With a tropical savannah climate, temperatures in this city reach 40 degrees Celsius in summer, and there is a lot of rainfall. These heavy showers in summer can cause floods and landslides. Winter here is still quite warm, with temperatures around 21 degrees Celsius. Inland areas in Rio de Janeiro are hotter than the coastal areas due to the sea breeze moderating the temperature. As Rio de Janeiro is located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, cold weather from Antarctica causes many changes in the weather, especially during autumn and winter.
Curitiba
Curitiba has the largest population and economy in the south of Brazil. This city has a maritime temperate or subtropical highland climate, meaning that Curitiba is humid with mild, wet weather. Curitiba is the coldest of Brazil’s cities due to its high altitude. The average minimum temperature is 7 degrees Celsius during winter; sometimes, the temperature can reach below freezing during the cold months. Summer here brings tropical storms.
Manaus
The northern city of Manaus is the capital of Amazonas, Brazil’s largest state. Manaus is located in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest. The climate here is tropical monsoon with consistent temperatures throughout the year, averaging 27 degrees Celsius. Temperatures only change about 1.6 degrees Celsius from month to month. August is the driest month, and the wettest is March.
