Australia is one of a few nations that spans numerous climate zones. So, why does Australia have different climates?
The Reason Why Australia Has Different Climates
If you are touring around Australia, you will see that the outdoors don’t always look and feel the same. The deserts near Alice Spring are distinct from the equatorial wetland of Kakadu for instance or the genial rainforests of Cradle Mountain.
Australia has diverse environments because this country covers a wide range of what we call climate zones. Climate zones are areas of the world that experience the same rainfall and temperatures as each other. The area of these climate zones is primarily specified by the sun.
Tropical Zone – Climates In Australia
Regions around the equator get sunlight the whole year round. It means that the sun is straight overhead at noon. This is what we call the tropical zone. When the rays hit the Earth or the sea’s surface, it heats the air on top of it, leading it to increase.
The heated air cools as it ascends, then the water in the air condenses and finally falls as rain. It is clear then that the tropical areas, locations like Darwin or Cairns, are humid and warm all year round, with an obvious dry and wet season as the equatorial rain belt moves to the North and South of the equator.
Subtropical Zone
If you shift further away from the equator, you set foot in the subtropical zone. This is where the air from the tropics falls as dry air. The sinking air creates high-pressure systems and clear skies at the surface of the Earth. As a result, the subtropical zone is rather dry.
Places such as Brisbane and Longreach are subtropical. The summers in these two regions are burning, the winters are temperate. The subtropics are also places where we presently have most of the planet’s deserts.
Temperate Zone – Climates In Australia
The temperate zone is the third climate zone that you can experience when living in Australia. Because the Earth is round, rays hit these regions at more of an angle than at the equator. And since the same amount of energy has to cover a larger size of land, the climate here is cooler than it is in the tropics.
Because the Earth is tilted as well, the temperate zones receive more direct sunlight during summertime and less in wintertime.
Regions in the temperate zone, such as Melbourne and Hobart, hence have different seasons. They have cold, short days during winter and warm, long days during summer.
Polar Zone
This is the coldest climate zone in Australia. In this zone, the sun is the lowest in the sky. Its sunlight and energy hit the Earth at a larger angle. As the cold air cannot hold a lot of moisture, some places in the Antarctic and Arctic are as arid as the subtropical deserts.
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