With a total rainfall of 44·77 ins. (1,137 mm.) and absolute extremes of temperature of 98° F. (36·5° C.) and 55° F. (12·9° C), the climate, though perhaps not bracing, can never be unpleasant. The shore is here washed by a warm southerly current from the equatorial regions, whereas on the west coast the inshore current is a northerly one from the antarctic regions. On this account it is necessary to go a good deal to the geographical north to select a place on the west coast for comparison of the rainfall in the same isotherm.

Molendo. Lat. 17° 5′ S.; Long. 72° 0′ W.
(The Port of Arequipa in South of Peru.)
Month Mean
Monthly
Temperature
Mean
Monthly
Maxima
Mean
Monthly
Minima
Monthly
Rainfall
F. C. F. C. F. C. Ins. Mm.
January 72·3 22·4 79·4 26·3 66·7 19·3 0    0
February 72·8 22·7 79·5 26·4 67·5 19·7 0·08 2
March 71·5 21·9 78·0 25·6 66·0 18·9 0    0
April 68·2 20·1 74·8 23·8 63·4 17·4 0·08 2
May 65·8 18·8 72·7 22·7 62·8 17·1 0·17 4
June 63·0 17·2 68·5 20·3 57·8 14·3 0·6   1
July 60·9 16·0 66·0 18·9 55·7 13·2 0    0
August 59·5 15·3 65·0 18·3 54·7 12·6 0·23 6
September 61·2 16·2 67·0 19·4 56·0 13·3 0·06 1
October 63·3 17·4 70·0 21·1 57·3 14·1 0·08 2
November 66·3 19·1 73·0 22·8 60·2 15·7 0·08 2
December 70·8 21·6 78·2 25·7 64·7 18·2 0·06 1
Year 60·4 19·1 72·7 22·6 61·0 16·1 0·83 21


Table of Temperature Data of Places in South America.
Place Latitude Longitude Eleva-
tion
in Feet
Mean
Temperature
of Year
Maximum
Temperature
of Year
Minimum
Temperature
of Year
Hottest
Month
Coldest
Month
Name Mean
Temperature
Name Mean
Temperature
F. C. F. C. F. C. F. C. F. C.
Northern Coast, on Atlantic Seaboard.
Caracas, Venezuela 10° 30′ N. 66° 55′ W. 3,000 71·2 21·8 79·7 26·5 57·8 14·3 May 74·0 23·3 January 68·5 20·3
La Guayra, port 10° 37′ N. 67°  0′ W. 78·2 25·7 September 80·7 27·0 Feb.-Mar. 75·7 24·3
Tovar 10° 26′ N. 67° 20′ W. 6,000 58.0 14·4 April 59·6 15·3 January 54·5 12·5
Western Littoral—Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Medellin 6° 10′ N. 75° 45′ W. 4,676 70·0 21·1 85·0 29·4 56·5 13·6 February 71·0 21·7 November 68·5 20·3
Bogota 4° 35′ N. 71° 14′ W. 8,650 58·0 14·4 72·0 22·2 45·8 7·7 Mar.-April 58·7 14·8 July 56·8 13·8
Quito 0° 14′ S. 78° 32′ W. 9,300 56·3 13·5 73·5 23·1 38·2 3·4 Dec.-Jan. 56·7 13·7 Sept.-Oct. 56·2 13·4
Antisana 0° 21′ S. 78° 6′ W. 13,200 40·8 4·9 52·0 11·0 21·0 -6·2 January 43·2 6·2 July-Aug. 37·3 3·0
Guayaquil 2° 10′ S. 79° 56′ W. 80·7 27·0 95·0 35·0 66·2 19·0 January 83·4 28·5 July 77·8 25·5
Lima 12°  4′ S. 79° 21′ W. 530 66·2 19·0 88·2 31·2 48·5 9·2 February 73·7 23·2 July 59·0 15·0
Anca 18° 25′ S. 70° 22′ W. 67·5 19·7 82·4 28·0 56·0 13·3 Dec.-Jan. 71·7 22·0 August 63·2 17·3
Salta 24° 46′ S. 65° 24′ W. 4,000 63·2 17·3 109·4 43·0 23·0 -5·0 December 72·2 22·3 June 50·8 10·5
Copiapo 27° 22′ S. 70° 23′ W. 1,200 61·5 16·4 87·3 30·7 37·4 3·0 January 69·8 21·0 July 53·2 11·8
North-East Coast—British Guiana.
Georgetown 6° 50′ N. 58°  8′ W. 79·0 26·1 90·0 32·2 70·0 21·1 Sept.-Oct. 80·7 27·0 Jan.-Feb. 77·5 25·3
Dutch Guiana.
Burnside 5° 53′ N. 50° 23′ W. 78·7 25·9 92·8 33·8 68·7 20·4 October 80·0 26·7 February 77·3 25·2
Paramaribo 5° 44′ N. 50° 13′ W. 78·7 25·9 94·4 34·6 67·8 19·9 September 80·8 27·1 January 77·2 25·1
French Guiana.
Cayenne 4° 56′ N. 52° 18′ W. 79·5 26·4 94·4 34·6 68·0 20·0 Sept.-Oct. 81·4 27·4 January 77·5 25·3
Brazil, Amazon Coast.
Para 1° 30′ S. 48° 24′ W. 78·5 25·8 June 79·5 26·4 January 77·7 25·4
Interior of Brazil.
Manaos 3°  8′ S. 60°  0′ W. 150 79·0 26·0 November 79·8 26·6 April 77·0 25·0
San Antonio 9°  5′ S. 64°  0′ W. 78·0 25·6 October 79·4 26·3 June 76·8 24·9
Peruvian frontier 11° 30′ S. 68° 30′ W. 650 77·4 25·2 December 80·0 26·7 June 72·2 22·3
Cuyaba 15° 86′ S. 56°  7′ W. 700 77·5 25·3 105·8 41·0 48·2 9·0 Sept.-Oct. 80·7 27·0 June 69·5 20·8
Uberaba 19° 44′ S. 47° 45′ W. 2,600 70·3 21·3 96·8 36·0 36·5 2·5 February 74·2 23·4 July 64·0 17·8
Western Central Brazil.
Pernambuco 8°  4′ S. 34° 51′ W. 78·5 25·8 97·5 36·4 64·5 18·1 February 81·7 27·6 July 73·7 23·2
Victoria 8°  9′ S. 35° 27′ W. 550 76·7 24·8 99·4 37·4 57·3 14·1 February 79·5 26·4 July 72·8 22·7
Colony of Isabella 8° 45′ S. 35° 42′ W. 750 74·2 23·4 91·2 32·9 56·2 13·4 February 76·6 24·7 July 70·0 21·1
Bahia 12° 59′ S. 38° 36′ W. 200 77·8 25·5 89·0 31·7 70·7 21·5 February 80·8 27·1 July 73·7 23·2
Rio Janeiro 22° 54′ S. 43° 10′ W. 200 72·5 22·3 97·7 36·6 55·2 12·9 February 77·2 25·1 July 67·5 19·7
Joinville 26° 19′ S. 49° 43′ W. 68·0 20·0 February 75·5 24·2 July 61·5 16·4
Villa Formosa 26° 13′ S. 58°  5′ W. 250 70·2 21·2 100·3 38·0 37·7 3·2 January 79·2 26·2 July 61·3 16·3
Table of Temperature Data of Places in South America.
Place Latitude Longitude Eleva-
tion
in Feet
Mean
Temperature
of Year
Maximum
Temperature
of Year
Minimum
Temperature
of Year
F. C. F. C. F. C.
Northern Coast, on Atlantic Seaboard.
Caracas, Venezuela 10° 30′ N. 66° 55′ W. 3,000 71·2 21·8 79·7 26·5 57·8 14·3
La Guayra, port 10° 37′ N. 67°  0′ W. 78·2 25·7
Tovar 10° 26′ N. 67° 20′ W. 6,000 58.0 14·4
Western Littoral—Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Medellin 6° 10′ N. 75° 45′ W. 4,676 70·0 21·1 85·0 29·4 56·5 13·6
Bogota 4° 35′ N. 71° 14′ W. 8,650 58·0 14·4 72·0 22·2 45·8 7·7
Quito 0° 14′ S. 78° 32′ W. 9,300 56·3 13·5 73·5 23·1 38·2 3·4
Antisana 0° 21′ S. 78° 6′ W. 13,200 40·8 4·9 52·0 11·0 21·0 -6·2
Guayaquil 2° 10′ S. 79° 56′ W. 80·7 27·0 95·0 35·0 66·2 19·0
Lima 12°  4′ S. 79° 21′ W. 530 66·2 19·0 88·2 31·2 48·5 9·2
Anca 18° 25′ S. 70° 22′ W. 67·5 19·7 82·4 28·0 56·0 13·3
Salta 24° 46′ S. 65° 24′ W. 4,000 63·2 17·3 109·4 43·0 23·0 -5·0
Copiapo 27° 22′ S. 70° 23′ W. 1,200 61·5 16·4 87·3 30·7 37·4 3·0
North-East Coast—British Guiana.
Georgetown 6° 50′ N. 58°  8′ W. 79·0 26·1 90·0 32·2 70·0 21·1
Dutch Guiana.
Burnside 5° 53′ N. 50° 23′ W. 78·7 25·9 92·8 33·8 68·7 20·4
Paramaribo 5° 44′ N. 50° 13′ W. 78·7 25·9 94·4 34·6 67·8 19·9
French Guiana.
Cayenne 4° 56′ N. 52° 18′ W. 79·5 26·4 94·4 34·6 68·0 20·0
Brazil, Amazon Coast.
Para 1° 30′ S. 48° 24′ W. 78·5 25·8
Interior of Brazil.
Manaos 3°  8′ S. 60°  0′ W. 150 79·0 26·0
San Antonio 9°  5′ S. 64°  0′ W. 78·0 25·6
Peruvian frontier 11° 30′ S. 68° 30′ W. 650 77·4 25·2
Cuyaba 15° 86′ S. 56°  7′ W. 700 77·5 25·3 105·8 41·0 48·2 9·0
Uberaba 19° 44′ S. 47° 45′ W. 2,600 70·3 21·3 96·8 36·0 36·5 2·5
Western Central Brazil.
Pernambuco 8°  4′ S. 34° 51′ W. 78·5 25·8 97·5 36·4 64·5 18·1
Victoria 8°  9′ S. 35° 27′ W. 550 76·7 24·8 99·4 37·4 57·3 14·1
Colony of Isabella 8° 45′ S. 35° 42′ W. 750 74·2 23·4 91·2 32·9 56·2 13·4
Bahia 12° 59′ S. 38° 36′ W. 200 77·8 25·5 89·0 31·7 70·7 21·5
Rio Janeiro 22° 54′ S. 43° 10′ W. 200 72·5 22·3 97·7 36·6 55·2 12·9
Joinville 26° 19′ S. 49° 43′ W. 68·0 20·0
Villa Formosa 26° 13′ S. 58°  5′ W. 250 70·2 21·2 100·3 38·0 37·7 3·2
Table of Temperature Data of Places in South America.
Place Latitude Longitude Eleva-
tion
in Feet
Hottest
Month
Coldest
Month
Name Mean
Temperature
Name Mean
Temperature
F. C. F. C.
Northern Coast, on Atlantic Seaboard.
Caracas, Venezuela 10° 30′ N. 66° 55′ W. 3,000 May 74·0 23·3 January 68·5 20·3
La Guayra, port 10° 37′ N. 67°  0′ W. September 80·7 27·0 Feb.-Mar. 75·7 24·3
Tovar 10° 26′ N. 67° 20′ W. 6,000 April 59·6 15·3 January 54·5 12·5
Western Littoral—Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Medellin 6° 10′ N. 75° 45′ W. 4,676 February 71·0 21·7 November 68·5 20·3
Bogota 4° 35′ N. 71° 14′ W. 8,650 Mar.-April 58·7 14·8 July 56·8 13·8
Quito 0° 14′ S. 78° 32′ W. 9,300 Dec.-Jan. 56·7 13·7 Sept.-Oct. 56·2 13·4
Antisana 0° 21′ S. 78° 6′ W. 13,200 January 43·2 6·2 July-Aug. 37·3 3·0
Guayaquil 2° 10′ S. 79° 56′ W. January 83·4 28·5 July 77·8 25·5
Lima 12°  4′ S. 79° 21′ W. 530 February 73·7 23·2 July 59·0 15·0
Anca 18° 25′ S. 70° 22′ W. Dec.-Jan. 71·7 22·0 August 63·2 17·3
Salta 24° 46′ S. 65° 24′ W. 4,000 December 72·2 22·3 June 50·8 10·5
Copiapo 27° 22′ S. 70° 23′ W. 1,200 January 69·8 21·0 July 53·2 11·8
North-East Coast—British Guiana.
Georgetown 6° 50′ N. 58°  8′ W. Sept.-Oct. 80·7 27·0 Jan.-Feb. 77·5 25·3
Dutch Guiana.
Burnside 5° 53′ N. 50° 23′ W. October 80·0 26·7 February 77·3 25·2
Paramaribo 5° 44′ N. 50° 13′ W. September 80·8 27·1 January 77·2 25·1
French Guiana.
Cayenne 4° 56′ N. 52° 18′ W. Sept.-Oct. 81·4 27·4 January 77·5 25·3
Brazil, Amazon Coast.
Para 1° 30′ S. 48° 24′ W. June 79·5 26·4 January 77·7 25·4
Interior of Brazil.
Manaos 3°  8′ S. 60°  0′ W. 150 November 79·8 26·6 April 77·0 25·0
San Antonio 9°  5′ S. 64°  0′ W. October 79·4 26·3 June 76·8 24·9
Peruvian frontier 11° 30′ S. 68° 30′ W. 650 December 80·0 26·7 June 72·2 22·3
Cuyaba 15° 86′ S. 56°  7′ W. 700 Sept.-Oct. 80·7 27·0 June 69·5 20·8
Uberaba 19° 44′ S. 47° 45′ W. 2,600 February 74·2 23·4 July 64·0 17·8
Western Central Brazil.
Pernambuco 8°  4′ S. 34° 51′ W. February 81·7 27·6 July 73·7 23·2
Victoria 8°  9′ S. 35° 27′ W. 550 February 79·5 26·4 July 72·8 22·7
Colony of Isabella 8° 45′ S. 35° 42′ W. 750 February 76·6 24·7 July 70·0 21·1
Bahia 12° 59′ S. 38° 36′ W. 200 February 80·8 27·1 July 73·7 23·2
Rio Janeiro 22° 54′ S. 43° 10′ W. 200 February 77·2 25·1 July 67·5 19·7
Joinville 26° 19′ S. 49° 43′ W. February 75·5 24·2 July 61·5 16·4
Villa Formosa 26° 13′ S. 58°  5′ W. 250 January 79·2 26·2 July 61·3 16·3

In contrast with the fairly liberal rainfall of the east coast we find places almost as rainless as Waddy Halfa in the Soudan.

Arequipa, e.g., though situated high up on the Andes, is nearly as dry as Lima, but receives a few trifling showers during the height of summer and autumn (January to March).

Arequipa. Lat. 16° 24′ S.;
Long. 71° 30′ W. E.F., 7,680.
Month Mean
Monthly
Temperature
Relative
Humidity
Monthly
Rainfall
F. C. Ins. Mm.
January 56·5 13·6 65   1·08 27
February 55·4 13·0 69   5·28 134
March 56·0 13·3 0·84 21
April 53·2 11·8 71   0    0
May 49·0 9·4 0    0
June 47·5 8·6 44   0    0
July 51·0 10·6 45   0    0
August 53·0 11·7 52   0    0
September 56·0 13·3 55   0·03 1
October 56·7 13·7 59   0    0
November 57·2 14·0 0    0
December 56·8 13·8 65   0·03 1
Year 54·2 12·3 59   7·28 185

These Western figures must serve as a specimen, though only for a single year; for as already remarked, meteorology is but fitfully studied in South America.

Many towns and districts, especially on the northern and eastern coasts, are at a considerable elevation above the sea, and in estimating the probable climate of such localities the following scale of diminution of mean temperature for height in the equatorial Andes may be of service:—

Elevation
in Feet
  - Sea-level 1,500 4,500 7,000 10,000 13,000 17,000 20,000
 
Tempera-
ture F.
  - 80° 77° 68° 59° 50° 40° 32° 20°

Or expressed in the metric system:—

Elevation
in Metres
  - Sea-level 490 1,420 2,320 3,270 4,190 5,120 6,040
 
Tempera-
ture C.
  - 27° 25° 20° 15° 10° -5°

The tables given on pages 92, 93, compiled from Hann’s “Klimatologie” include some of the better-known sites in South America, but it will be observed that we are wofully wanting in detailed information as to places in the interior, by far the majority being places on the coast.

The small variation and remarkable uniformity of temperature in places spread over so large an area, when situated at all near the same level above the sea, is very remarkable, as also is the fact that nothing approaching the excessive temperature of Africa, the other great Southern Peninsula, is to be met with here.

Guiana, Venezuela, and the other countries of the north and north-eastern coasts, are no doubt steamy and unhealthy, but the greater part of Brazil seems to possess a climate by no means prohibitive of European energy, though doubtless the deltas of the great rivers, like similar situations elsewhere, are best avoided from the point of view of health.

Tables of the rainfall of a few places in each of the regions included in the preceding table will be found below:—

Rainfall in Places on N. and N.E. Coast, South America.
Place Cartagena,
Colombia
Caracas,
Venezuela
(3,000 ft.)
George Town,
Brit.
Guiana
Paramaribo,
Dutch
Guiana
Cayenne,
French
Guiana
Para,
Brazil
Month Ins. Mm. Ins. Mm. Ins. Mm. Ins. Mm. Ins. Mm. Ins. Mm.
January 0    0 0·37 9 6·92 176 9·93 252 14·23 361 11·97 303
February 0    0 0·33 8 4·88 124 6·12 155 12·43 316 11·02 280
March 0·19 5 0·28 7 5·42 138 7·48 190 15·53 394 12·98 329
April 0·13 3 1·03 26 6·43 163 9·82 249 15·16 385 13·37 340
May 5·18 132 2·17 55 10·95 279 11·97 304 19·25 489 7·64 194
June 4·83 124 4·57 116 11·96 303 11·88 300 14·84 377 4·18 106
July 3·12 79 4·82 122 9·07 230 9·27 235 6·64 169 2·78 71
August 5·0 127 3·63 92 7·02 178 7·08 180 2·68 68 2·04 52
September 7·23 184 5·37 136 2·60 66 2·68 68 1·12 28 2·63 67
October 10·95 279 5·02 128 2·38 60 2·83 72 1·33 34 2·44 62
November 5·37 136 2·60 66 5·68 144 4·03 102 4·72 120 3·52 90
December 0·98 25 1·03 26 10·92 277 9·48 241 10·64 270 5·08 129
Year 43·67 1,094 31·14 791 84·23 2,138 92·43 2,348 118·53 3,011 79·64 2,023

Rainfall, Western Littoral-Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
Place Medellin,
Colombia
Quito,
Ecuador
Lima,
Peru
Iquitos,
East Slope
of Andes
Salta,
Peru
Tucuman,
Peru
Month Ins. Mm. Ins. Mm. Ins. Mm. Ins. Mm. Ins. Mm. Ins. Mm.
January 2·18 55 3·24 82 0·07 1 10·24 260 5·68 144 7·38 187
February 2·52 64 3·88 99 0    0 9·83 250 5·44 138 6·63 168
March 5·28 134 4·84 123 0    0 12·24 311 4·64 118 6·27 159
April 6·93 176 6·95 177 0    0 6·48 165 0·92 23 1·78 45
May 7·77 197 4·62 117 0·13 3 10·00 254 0·37 9 1·14 29
June 6·62 168 1·33 34 0·37 9 7·43 189 0·03 1 0·52 13
July 4·13 105 1·08 27 0·39 10 6·53 167 0    0 0·52 13
August 5·13 130 2·22 56 0·33 8 4·62 117 0·07 2 0·23 6
September 6·42 163 2·57 65 0·27 7 8·70 221 0·27 7 0·63 16
October 7·37 187 3·87 98 0·13 3 7·24 184 0·48 12 3·14 79
November 5·87 149 3·97 101 0    0 8·52 216 1·88 48 4·33 110
December 2·67 68 3·57 91 0    0 11·47 291 2·93 74 5·75 146
Year 62·88 1,596 42·13 1,070 1·64 41 103·33 2,625 22·64 575 38·23 971
Rainfall, Interior and East Coast.
Place Merida,
Yucatan—
Interior
Manaos,
Brazil—
Interior
Cuyaba,
Brazil—
Interior
Pernambuco,
Coast,
Brazil
Bahia,
Coast,
Brazil
Rio Janeiro,
Coast,
Brazil
Month Ins. Mm. Ins. Mm. Ins. Mm. Ins. Mm. Ins. Mm. Ins. Mm.
January 1·02 26 9·37 238 10·03 255 4·34 110 3·58 91 4·68 119
February 0·53 13 9·84 250 8·58 218 5·98 152 3·43 87 4·34 110
March 0·70 1 11·88 301 8·70 221 5·92 150 7·87 200 5·38 137
April 0·17 4 13·08 332 3·52 90 10·96 277 14·34 364 4·57 116
May 0·96 24 7·33 186 2·14 54 14·81 378 12·28 312 3·63 92
June 5·88 149 6·02 153 0·72 18 15·18 386 11·54 293 1·85 47
July 3·86 98 2·88 72 0·34 8 28·27 718 8·98 228 1·64 41
August 7·76 197 2·40 61 0·37 9 12·60 320 4·93 125 1·85 47
September 4·50 114 1·74 44 3·63 92 6·83 173 3·15 80 2·28 58
October 2·95 75 4·13 105 4·27 108 1·03 26 4·88 124 3·08 78
November 4·12 104 7·65 194 7·68 195 1·14 29 6·83 173 4·28 109
December 1·24 31 10·48 266 8·67 220 2·04 52 3·63 92 5·43 138
Year 33·86 860 85·12 2,202 59·00 1,498 117·00 2,971 85·39 2,169 43·00 1,091
Bermuda