1. CLIMATE REGIONS
Europe lies largely in the temperate midlatitude zone, tucked safely north and west of the Eastern
Hemisphere’s great desert belt. In that fortune location, it enjoys climates that are generally humid and
mild. These moist, moderate temperature conditions favored Europe and helped it become one of the
major homelands of humanity. Still, the climate is far from uniform, and we can recognize three major
types: marine west coast, humid continental, and mediterranean. Both north versus south and east versus
west patterns can be detected.
A. Marine West Coast Climate
Europe lies in the latitude of the westerlies, prevailing winds that come onshore from the Atlantic
Ocean, both at earth’s surface and aloft, as the jet stream. These winds, many of which originate over a
warm ocean current called the North Atlantic Drift, are marine in character–wet and cool in the
summer and mild in the winter. Because Europe’s mountain ranges trend west to east, the marine air
penetrate far into the interior. As a result, much of western Europe is characterized by a marine west
coast climate that extend eastward about halfway across Europe. Cool summers, in which no month
averages above 720
F (220
C) alternate with gentle winters, with no month averaging below freezing.
Temperatures do not differ all that much between summer and winter. In London, the majority of
January nights have no frost and a snow cover only very rarely and fleetingly blankets the countryside.
Heat waves are also rare. Because the winds coming off the Atlantic are wet, the marine west coast is
very moist and cloudy climate. Rainfall occurs frequently during all seasons. In an average year, rain
fall on 188 days in Paris, in small amounts. London once recorded 72 consecutive rainy days.
B. Humid Continental Climate
Most of eastern Europe is dominated by humid continental climate. Enough Atlantic moisture
penetrates eastward to make this a moist climate, with summer similar to those in the marine west
coast. In winter, however, bitterly cold air masses enter from the frozen northern ocean and from the
interior or Eurasia. A durable snow cover perhaps best characterized the continental winter. Rivers,
lakes and bays freeze. In severe winters, temperatures can fall to -200
or even -300
F (-290
to -350
C).
Thus, summer and winter differ sharply in the humid continental climate.
C. Mediterranean Climate
The north versus south dimension of European climate is represented by the mediterranean climate,
which dominates all or part of the three southern peninsulas of Europe-Iberia, Italy, and the southern
Balkans. The distinguishing trait of the Mediterranean climate is the concentration of precipitation in
the winter season, with exceptionally dry summers. Generally, less than one-tenth of the annual
precipitation fall in the summer month of June, July, and August and the month of July is almost
totally rainless. Athens, Greece, average only 0,3 inches (8 millimeters) of rain in July. This
pronounced seasonality of precipitation reflects the traditional position of the Mediterranean Basin
between the humid marine west coast climate to the north and parched Sahara Desert to the south. In
winter, the Mediterranean lands come under the influence of the westerlies, which shift southward
with the direct rays of the sun. The region consequently experiences the impact of precipitation-
producing marine air masses and migrating storm centers. In summer, the region comes more under
the influence of a great subtropical high-pressure center, which causes fair weather in North Africa
and the Mediterranean peninsulas. Winter precipitation occurs as rainfall in the small lowland plains
but often as snow in the numerous mountain ranges in the Mediterranean region. Accumulated snow in
the highlands is of crucial importance to farmers because the meltwater runoff in spring and summer
provides irrigation water for the drought season.
Summers in the Mediterranean region are hot. Athens has recorded 1050
F (40,50
C) and Valencia,
Spain, 1090
F (430
C). Relative humidity is low in the summer, allowing pleasant nighttime cooling.
People in the Mediterranean lands tend to nap during the hottest time of day, then stay up past
midnight to enjoy the evening coolness. Most Europeans regard the Mediterranean as the perfect
climate, gifted with warmth and sunshine. Northern Europeans often vacation in these southern lands
or even move there in retirement.
Elementary/MTI/2011