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Miami's climate is not Tropical, it is Sub Tropical, there is a big difference.
Actually, Orlando would be considered sub tropical. Miami is deff a tropical climate. In fact, all of south FL is tropical. Lattitudes from ATL to Orlando is considered sub-tropical.
From Koppen:
In most places that have tropical wet and dry climates, however, the dry season occurs during the time of lower sun and shorter days because of rainshadow effects during the 'high-sun' part of the year.
Examples:
There are some areas with over 18 C avg temp every month that have low aridity during their high sun season, and thus are labeled "As" climates, but Honolulu isn't one of them.
Before you can be a tropical climate, you have to meet the temperature requirements, as well as the precipitation requirements. If an area is either arid (BW) or semi-arid (BS), you are in Group B and not Group A. In other words, in Group A you cannot be arid or semiarid. There is no such thing as a tropical desert, or a tropical semi-arid climate.
Koppen has come up with a formula to determine the aridity of a certain climate. First, you need to find the precipitation threshold (T), by Koppen's aridity formula, using the climatic data from the area. Then, you compare it to the area's annual precipitation (P). If the annual precipitation (P) is less than the numerical value for the threshold (T), then the climate is automatically in Group B. If:
0.5T < P < T ...the climate is semi-arid or steppe (BS)
P < 0.5T < T ...the climate is arid or desert (BW)
0.5T < T < P ...the climate is neither arid nor semi-arid (not in Group B)
Using Honolulu's 1981-2010 climate data, and through calculations, Honolulu annual precipitation (P) is less than the threshold (T), but greater than half of the threshold (0.5T), making it a semiarid climate.
Furthermore, the "h" in BSh is attached to Honolulu simply because of Koppens isothermic defintion in which Honolulu's temperature exceeding 18 C every month. Aruba is another example of a BSh climate with a dry, high-sun season, but hot climate.
If you need more of a breakdown, or you still do not get it, just let me know.
Last edited by canefandynasty; 12-05-2012 at 10:31 AM..
@canefandynasty, And even it it were a semi-arid climate, it would still fall under Koppen's classification of tropical because every month's mean temperature is above 64F. Such tropical desert cities would include Dubai, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and La Paz, Mexico. Still, Honolulu has a tropical savannah climate.
Wrong. Semi-arid climates are only classified in Group B, and no other groups.
...and out of the list, the only cities you manage to list in terms of tropical climate is número dos. The others either belong to Group B or C
Wrong yet again! Ask anyone what climate Honolulu is, and everyone will say tropical. Even Koppe classified it as tropical, which I already pointed out to you. It certainly rains a lot in Honolulu, to call Honolulu a desert or semi-arid is preposterous.
By the way, the rainfall amounts are measured on the coast, which is drier. If it were measured inland it would be considered by you as tropical. Same way of thinking people use to say Miami is tropical. People say if you measure Miami Beach, the temps are warm enough to be tropical. If you measure it just a bit inland, not tropical. I still do not consid Miami truly tropical.
Last edited by Hawaii4evr; 12-05-2012 at 06:54 PM..
Wrong yet again! Ask anyone what climate Honolulu is, and everyone will say tropical. Even Koppe classified it as tropical, which I already pointed out to you. It certainly rains a lot in Honolulu, to call Honolulu a desert or semi-arid is preposterous.
By the way, the rainfall amounts are measured on the coast, which is drier. If it were measured inland it would be considered by you as tropical. Same way of thinking people use to say Miami is tropical. People say if you measure Miami Beach, the temps are warm enough to be tropical. If you measure it just a bit inland, not tropical. I still do not consid Miami truly tropical.
Science and Koppen disagrees with you. According to Koppen's formula, Honolulu is a semi arid climate. That is fact. Most everyday people would tell you Honolulu is tropical but science and Koppen will tell you otherwise. This is why someone had to skew the precipitation numbers on wiki to let Honolulu come off as a tropical climate, b/c the real 1981-2010 numbers doesn't support it.
Miami is tropical whether on the coast or inland. Miami and Miami Beach the only cities in Florida (besides the Keys) to have stations that record no less than 60 F low temp in January. Miami and Miami Beach have the highest average low temp in all of South Florida (besides the Keys). They both are the only areas in South Florida (once again, besides the Keys) to have average annual lows of 70 F and higher. So, both Miami and Miami Beach is tropical. This is why Miami & Miami Beach use the same historical data on weather.com, b/c they pretty much have the same climate.
Last edited by canefandynasty; 12-05-2012 at 08:26 PM..
Science and Koppen disagrees with you. According to Koppen's formula, Honolulu is a semi arid climate. That is fact. Most everyday people would tell you Honolulu is tropical but science and Koppen will tell you otherwise. This is why someone had to skew the precipitation numbers on wiki to let Honolulu come off as a tropical climate, b/c the real 1981-2010 numbers doesn't support it.
Miami is tropical whether on the coast or inland. Miami and Miami Beach the only cities in Florida (besides the Keys) to have stations that record no less than 60 F low temp in January. Miami and Miami Beach have the highest average low temp in all of South Florida (besides the Keys). They both are the only areas in South Florida (once again, besides the Keys) to have average annual lows of 70 F and higher. So, both Miami and Miami Beach is tropical. This is why Miami & Miami Beach use the same historical data on weather.com, b/c they pretty much have the same climate.
It seems like Koppen is contradictory. It classifies Honolulu as semi-arid, and yet also classifies Honolulu as tropical. Look up Koppen on wikipedia, look at the different "subgenres", if you will, of tropical climate, and Honolulu is in fact listed as tropical. Oh, and Aruba is tropical as well. Just because Miami gets more rain doesn't mean Honolulu is not tropical.
Science and Koppen disagrees with you. According to Koppen's formula, Honolulu is a semi arid climate. That is fact. Most everyday people would tell you Honolulu is tropical but science and Koppen will tell you otherwise. This is why someone had to skew the precipitation numbers on wiki to let Honolulu come off as a tropical climate, b/c the real 1981-2010 numbers doesn't support it.
Hawaii is diverse in terms of climate due to the mountains blocking rain. Honolulu falls under the tropical climate in terms of rainfall. Hilo, on the other hand, far exceeds the required amount of rain. Hot semi-arid seem to be fairly common in the tropics, though. (It's a climate of the tropics, if it's not a tropical climate).
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