The climate of Petén is divided into wet and dry seasons, with the rainy season lasting from June to December, although these seasons are not clearly defined in the south. The climate varies from tropical in the south to semitropical in the north; temperature varies between 12 and 40 °C , although it does not usually drop beneath 18 °C . Mean temperature varies from 24.3 °C  in the southeast around Poptún to 26.9 °C  around Uaxactún in the northeast. Highest temperatures are reached from April to June, and January is the coldest month; all Petén experiences a hot dry period in late August. Annual precipitation is high, varying from a mean of 1,198 millimetres  in the northeast to 2,007 millimetres  in central Petén around Flores . The extreme southeast of Petén experiences the largest variations in temperature and rainfall, with precipitation reaching as much as 3,000 millimetres  in a year.. How many months does the rainy season in Petén last?