Weather locations in Brazil

Brazil occupies a huge tropical block in South America, from the Amazon basin near the equator down to the temperate south around 33°S, and more than half of its territory lies inside the tropics. The Amazon river system dominates the north with its rainforest, while the interior plateau of the Cerrado and the semi-arid caatinga of the north-east define the drier middle. Few countries combine equatorial rainforest, tropical savanna, a hot semi-arid region and a cool subtropical south.

Main climate types

The classification runs from equatorial rainforest in the Amazon and along the north-east coast, through tropical savanna over the Cerrado and the caatinga, to humid subtropical conditions in the south, where frosts occur on cold nights. The slopes of the highlands and the south-west of the Amazon act as a transition zone, and small patches of Atlantic rainforest survive on the coastal ranges of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

Temperatures

Latitude and altitude matter more than anything else. Manaus, on the Amazon, averages about 26 °C in both January and July, a variation of barely two degrees. Brasília on the central plateau averages about 22 °C in January and about 17 °C in July. São Paulo, at roughly 760 metres, averages about 23 °C in January and about 17 °C in July, and Rio de Janeiro about 25 °C and 20 °C. In the south, Porto Alegre averages about 25 °C in January and about 17 °C in July.

Rainfall

Rainfall is heavily seasonal. Belém and Manaus take around 2,400 mm a year, most of it between January and June. Fortaleza on the north-east coast receives about 1,600 mm, concentrated from February to May, while the caatinga takes only 400 mm to 500 mm and is officially semi-arid. São Paulo receives about 1,400 mm to 1,500 mm, mostly from October to March, and Porto Alegre about 1,600 mm. Drought in the north-east recurs.

When to go

The north-east coast is best from July to October, before the March rains. The Amazon is most navigable from November to April, when river levels are high, though this is also the wettest period. The south is pleasant from March to May and from September to November.