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The Climate of Peru Varies, From
Tropical in the Mountains to Arctic in the Highest
Mountains of the Andes. Average Temperatures Decrease
About 1.7 Celsius Degrees (About 3 Fahrenheit Degrees)
With Every 450-m (1,500-ft) Increases in Elevation.
Permanent Snow and Ice Fields Cover Peaks More Than
5,000 m (16,500 ft.) Above Sea Level, and the Highest
Elevation at Which the Land is Suitable for Agriculture
is About 4,400 m (14,500 ft.).
In the Coastal Plain, the Temperature is Normally Mild,
Averaging About 20° C (About 68° F) Throughout the Year.
The Coastal Climate is Moderated by Winds Blowing From
the Cool Offshore Current Known as the Peruvian Humboldt
Stream. The Coast Receives Less Than 50 mm (Less Than
2inch) of Precipitation Each Year, Because the Mountain
Range Receives Most of the Rain Carried by the Trade
Winds From the East. Mist-laden Clouds Known as
Garúa.Many of the Slopes of the Highlands, Provide
Enough Moisture to Support Grasslands From June to
October.
In the Highlands, the Temperature ChangesFrequently From
About -7° to 21° C (About 20° to 70° F). Rainfall is
Usually Limited, But in Some Places Heavy Rains Fall
From October to April. In Cusco, in the Southeastern
Highlands, the Annual Rainfall Averages from 815 mm (Some
32 Inch). The Exposed Eastern Slopes of the Andes
Receive More Than 2,500 mm (100 Inch) of Rain Every Year,
but Sheltered Locations Receive Much Less. Rainfall
Amounts Diminish Rapidly Southward, Causing Many Changes
in the Vegetation.
The Mountain Region is Extremely Hot and Humid, Although
at Higher Altitudes it is Less Hot. The Prevailing
Easterly Winds Blowing Across That Region Gather
Moisture That is Later is Deposit on the Eastern Andean
Slopes. Annual Rainfall in Some Districts Average as
Much as 3,810 mm (as Much as 150 Inch). Most of This
Rain, Which Principally Falls From November Through
April, Goes Back to the Mountain.
Peru’s Climate Periodically Experiences a Weather
Pattern Known as El Niño. El Niño Occurs Every Three to
Seven Years When Unusually Warm Ocean Conditions Appear
Along the Western Coast. During El Niño theHumid Weather
Conditions Normally are Present in the Western Pacific
Moving to the East, Bringing Heavy Rains That Can Cause
Extensive Flooding.
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