Countries in South America

South America Weather Overview

South America is home to 12 countries including Brazil, Columbia, Chile, Argentina and Peru and Venezuela. Occupying 3.5% of the Earths Surface and 17,780,000 square kilometers, it is understandable as to why the area experiences a huge array of weather conditions.

Venezula lies in the very north of South America, and lies entirely in the tropics. Whilst its position would lead you to think that the country would witness year round tropical conditions, its varied topography means that this is certainly not the case. At points of lower elevation the summers can get very hot and humid and daily highs can reach into the 30’s. In the highlands you can find glaciers and higher rainfall, at these higher altitudes the average annual temperature is a brisk 8 °C. Rainfall in Venezula varies depending on elevation and proximity to the coast, however the majority of the rainfall falls during the months of May to November which is categorically known as th ‘rainy’ season. The rest of the year is significantly drier and classed as ‘summer,’ however due to the countries close proximity to the equator there is not a huge amount of seasonal temperature variation and temperatures differences occur primarily due to different altitudes.

Taking up the large majority of the continent is Brazil, which is the fifth largest country in the world. While the majority of Brazil lies within the tropics, the country as a whole witnesses 5 different climate classifications. Along the equator, which cuts through Brazil, temperatures remain high year round and often reaching in the 40’s in the height of summer. In southern Brazil temperatures can get much cooler and snow fall is not entirely uncommon in the winter months, particularly in the mountains and in parts of higher elevation. Humidity is high in Brazil, particularly when in the midst of the Amazon rainforest. Most of the country’s rainfall falls during the summer months of December to March, this is also when humidity is at its highest.

Argentina lies in the south of the continent and as a result of its location, spreading down and across, it is subject to a variety of weather conditions. In the north the conditions can be somewhat subtropical, in the middle the weather is best classified as temperate before heading further south where the conditions are sub polar. With 4,665 km of Atlantic coastline, the sea breezes often have a moderating affect on the weather conditions in the towns located on or near the coast.

As a rule, the north of Argentina is very hot in summer and fairly humid, whilst winters are cooler and significantly drier. The middle of Argentina has cool winters and is prone to sever and dramatic thunderstorms in the summer months. As you head south toward ther Antarctic, winters become increasingly cold and see heavy snowfall, particularly at higher elevations.

Like parts of Northern Norway and Finland, in the summer months (December, January and February in the southern hemisphere) the country sees long periods of extended daylight, witnessing up to 19 hours of sunlight per day in the height of summer. On the flipside, the winter months see shorter days and longer nights.

Chile, much like Argentina spreads across a long range of latitudes, so it witnesses a wide rang of weather conditions. Desert in the north, and semi polar in the very south. Central Chile sees a Mediterranean climate which is very enjoyable in the Spring and Summer months. The Atacama Desert which lies in the north of the country is the worlds driest non-Arctic place, it is arid and bare as it is blocked from moisture on both sides by the Andes mountains and by the Chilean Coast Range.

The influence of the Andes mountain range means that countries that lies in the shadow (such as Peru) don’t have climates that are typical of equatorial countries. Peru has huge biodiversity, with 10’s of thousands of species of flora and fauna, a result of the varying climatic conditions that are witnessed across the country.

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