Brazil weather patterns vary considerably, ranging from the mostly tropical in the area where the equator traverses the mouth of the Amazon, to the temperate zones below the Tropic of Capricorn with a latitude of 23°27', which cross the country at the city of São Paulo. There are seven climatic regions in Brazil: equatorial, tropical, semiarid, highland tropical, temperate, subtropical, and oceanic.
In the areas near the equator seasonal variation is minimal, although the weather has a tendency to get cooler, warranting a necessity for wearing a jacket, especially during rain falls. Temperatures in this area are rather high, with averages hovering just above 25 °C, and rarely soaring to highs of 40 °C so typical of the temperate zones.
South of the Tropic of Capricorn Brazil weather during the winter season (June-August), is characterised by storms and the high plateau and mountainous areas of some states occasionally experience snow fall. These snowfalls temper weather patterns on a more frequent basis especially in the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Paraná, while the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and Espírito Santo do receive their fair share of snow but on a less frequent basis.
Because of their great elevation – approximately 1,000 metres above sea level – the cities of Belo Horizonte and Brasília are under the influence of a moderate type of weather, with temperatures usually remaining in the range between 15 and 30 °C. Situated on the coast, Rio de Janeiro, Recife, and Salvador have significantly warmer weather, with average temperatures ranging from 23 to 27 °C but are constantly under the influence of trade winds. A more subtropical climate similar to that of southern United States and Europe can be found in the cities of São Paulo, Curitiba, Florianópolis and Porto Alegre where temperatures are known to fall below freezing during winter.
Fluctuation features prominently in Brazil precipitation levels. While most of the country enjoys moderate rainfall of between 1,000 and 1,500 mm a year, receiving most of its rain during the summer season (between December and April) south of the Equator, the Amazon region is notorious for its humid weather, its rainfall levels well above 2,000 mm per year, rising as high as 3,000 mm in parts of the western Amazon and near Belém. Despite its high annual precipitation, the Amazon rain forest enjoys a three- to five-month dry season, the timing of which varies according to location north or south of the equator.
In sharp contrast to the high and relatively regular levels of precipitation in the Amazon the Northeast is notable for the dryness of its semiarid weather. Rainfall is so scarce the area falls under the spell of severe droughts approximately once every seven months. Unsurprising, the Northeast is by far the hottest part of Brazil. During the dry season between May and November, temperatures of more than 38°C are not a rarity. However, when rain falls on the sertão, a region of semidesert vegetation used primarily for low-density ranching, the landscape turns into all shades of green. Most of the Center-West is renewed by the pronounced dry season that falls roughly in the middle of the year, while a dry season is notable for its absence in the South and most of the East.
