Climate in Brazil (when to go)

There are six climatic regions in Brazil: equatorial, tropical, semi-arid, highland tropical, Atlantic tropical and subtropical. This climatic diversity is due to the continental dimensions of the country, its massive size and its landscape. Close to 90% of the country is within the tropical zone and more than 60% of the population live in areas where altitude, sea winds, or cold polar fronts help to moderate the temperature.

Despite the popular image of the Amazon as a region of blistering heat, temperatures of more than 32°C are rarely experienced there. In fact, the annual average temperature in the Amazon region is in the range of 22-26°C, with only a very small seasonal variation between the warmest and the coldest months. The hottest part of Brazil is the northeast where, during the dry season, between May and November, temperatures of more than 38°C are recorded frequently. The Northeast has greater seasonal variations in temperature than does the Amazon region.

Rio de Janeiro, Recife, and Salvador on the coast have warm climates balanced by the constancy of the trade winds. Mean temperatures range from 23 to 27°C. In the southern Brazilian cities of Porto Alegre and Curitiba, the subtropical climate is similar to parts of Europe with frost occurring with some frequency. In this region, temperatures in winter can fall below freezing. Plateau cities such as São Paulo, Brasilia, and Belo Horizonte have very mild climates averaging 19°C.

Seasons
· Spring: from September 22 to December 21
· Summer: December 22 to March 21
· Fall: March 22 to June 21
· Winter: June 22 to September 21

Average Annual Rainfall
Brazil's most intense rainfall is found around the mouth of the Amazon River near the city of Belém, and also in the vast upper regions of Amazonia with over 4 m of water every year.

Another important region of heavy rainfall is along the edge of the great escarpment in the state of São Paulo. Most of Brazil, however, has moderate rainfall of between 1.5 m to 3 m a year. Summers are humid and winters are usually dry.

The driest part of the country is the Northeast, the so-called “drought triangle”, encompassing 10% of the country's territory. In this region, rainfall is very low with less than half a meter yearly, unpredictable and the evaporation rate is very high.