Subtropics with Winter Rain

Abstract

The term ‘winter’ refers to the season with low solar altitude. The subtropics with winter rain, also called warm-temperate zone with winter rain, only comprise about 2.68 · 106 km2. They occur as five isolated areas, which are preferentially situated at the western sides of the continents near the coasts and between 30° and 40° on both sides of the equator. Only the Mediterranean area, which is the largest of these five (> 50% of the total area), extends further to the east - from the European and African coasts of the Mediterranean Sea over the Middle East and the Iran to the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan and includes some parts of Kashmir. The subtropics with winter rain are the counterpart of the subtropics with year-round rain, which are situated at the eastern sides of the continents, but shifted towards the equator at latitudes from 20° to 38° (see Chapter 7).