Australia

Detailed information on Australian climate zones can be found at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology website.

Australia - arid

This zone crosses Australia from coastal Western Australia to the Great Dividing Range in the East. It includes all the desert area, Kalgoorlie, Alice Springs and dry inland areas of Queensland.

Australia - cool/mountain

Mild or warm summer. Cold winter with frosts. Includes high areas of the New South Wales Northern Tablelands (Armidale,Guyra,Glen Innes), Southern Tablelands, Canberra/ACT, and most of Tasmania.

Australia - sub-tropical

Warm humid summer (average January maximum temperature < 30 degrees C). Mild dry winter. Includes the eastern seaboard from Brisbane south through Coffs Harbour to Sydney. Coastal WA from approx Geraldton to Canarvon

Australia - temperate

Warm summer (average January maximum < 30 degrees C), cool winter. Includes inland Queensland, New South Wales tablelands and coastal region south of Sydney, and much of southern coastal Australia from Melbourne, Adelaide through to Perth.

Australia - tropical

Hot humid summer (average January maximum temperature > 30 degrees C). Warm winter. Extends across the north of Australia from Canarvon through Port Hedland, Broome, Darwin, Cairns, and south to Rockhampton.

New Zealand

An overview of New Zealand climate zones can be found at the NIWA Science website.

New Zealand - cool/mountain

Warm summer. Cold winter with frosts. Taupo, parts of Waikato in shadow of the mountains, Wairarapa. Areas near Mount Taranaki. Inland areas of Otago, Canterbury and all Southern Lakes area

New Zealand - sub-tropical

Warm summer. Mild winter with rare frost.Auckland,Northland, Coromandel and east coast areas to Tauranga and Mount Maunganui excluding inland areas which have frequent frosts.

New Zealand - temperate

Warm summer, cool wet winter. Occasional frosts. North Island - Hamilton, Taranaki ( except mountain areas) and western coastal areas as far as Wellington. Rotorua and all east coast areas from Bay of plenty south. South Island - Nelson and West coast areas south to Greymouth . Picton and east coast south through Christchurch, Dunedin to Invercargill.

South Africa

South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical

Dry Summer Sub-tropical - Warm temperate, typical Mediterranean-type climate with dry,warm sub-tropical summer (normally above 10 degrees C). Cool, wet winter. Confined to the South Western Cape and western part of the Southern Cape.

South Africa - Humid sub-tropical

Warm temperate region including most of the East coast, the Garden Route, and Eastern lowveld. Typified by the humid KZN coastal region, which is very hot and humid in summer (average 18 degrees C).

South Africa - Semi-arid

Semi-arid - Dry and hot in summer. Cold, often with frost in winter. Includes most of the northern part of the Eastern Cape, including the Klein Karoo, the Great Karoo and Northern Cape, as well as some of the northern West Coast towards Namibia.

South Africa - Summer rainfall

Summer Rainfall - Hot summer and cold winter with frost in some parts. Includes most of Gauteng and Limpopo Province, the Free State highveld, Mpumalanga highveld, North West and Northern Provinces, and the KZN Midlands.

United Kingdom

United Kingdom - cool/temperate

North and West areas but some variation in coastal areas affected by the Gulf Stream. Check with www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/regional/

United Kingdom - warm/temperate

South and East areas. Check with www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/regional/

USA

USA - Central West Coast

Subtropical - Mediterranean - Hot, dry summers with warm frost-free winters. Most rain fall in winter. California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, except mountain areas.

USA - Maritime Northwest

Temperate/dry. Extended winter in mountain areas. Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado,

USA - Mid-Atlantic

Temperate/humid - Humid summers and cold winters. Heavy snowfalls in mountain areas. Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, West-Virginia, Kentucky, New Jersey, Tennessee

USA - North East

High rainfall much of the year - some variation with warmer, dryer coastal areas. Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Also Michigan, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin

USA - South East and Gulf States

Humid Subtropical - Hot summer and warm frost-free winter. Rainfall throughout the year. Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, N Carolina, S Carolina except mountain areas.

USA - South West

Arid - Hot summers with desert areas and cold winters Needs irrigation for good crop production. Generally a long growing season except in cool mountain areas Arizona, Texas

USA - Upper Midwest

Continental climate. Definite seasons. Dry cold winters and warm wet summers .Warm spring and fall. Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Kansas and South Dakota. Also Indiana, Missouri, Oklahoma