page_title: Subtropics
section_title: Semi-desert/desert climate
hierarchical_section_title: Subtropics / Varieties / Semi-desert/desert climate
caption_attribution_description: English: View of Alicante (Spain), with the mountain of Benacantil and the castle of Saint Barbera in the background. Español: Vista d'Alacant, amb la muntanya de Benacantil i el Castell de Santa Bàrbara al fons.
context_page_description: The subtropics are geographic and climate zones located roughly between the tropics at latitude 23° 27' and the temperate zones, north and south of the Equator.
  Subtropical climates are often characterized by hot summers and mild winters with infrequent frost. Most subtropical climates fall into two basic types: humid subtropical, where rainfall is often concentrated in the warmest months, for example southeast China and the southeast United States, and dry summer or Mediterranean climate, where seasonal rainfall is concentrated in the cooler months, such as the Mediterranean Basin or southern California.
  Subtropical climates can occur at high elevations within the tropics, such as in the southern end of the Mexican Plateau and in the Vietnamese Highlands. Six climate classifications use the term to help define the various temperature and precipitation regimes for planet Earth.
  A great portion of the world's deserts are located within the subtropics, due to the development of the subtropical ridge. Areas bordering warm oceans are prone to locally heavy rainfall from tropical cyclones, which can contribute a significant percentage of the annual rainfall.
context_section_description: Arid subtropical climates are characterized by an annual average temperature above 18 °C (64.4 °F), the absence of regular rainfall, and high humidity.
caption: Mount Benacantil, Alicante, Spain.
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