Climate of Southeast Brazil

The climate of Southeast Brazil is quite diverse in temperature. This is due to the latitudinal position around the Tropic of Capricorn, the very uneven topography, and disturbed circulation systems which greatly influence the climatology of the region.

Climate types of Southeast Region.

The annual medium temperature ranges from 20 °C (68 °F) as seen on the border between São Paulo and Paraná to 24 °C (75 °F) in the north of Minas Gerais, while in the elevated areas of the Serra do Espinhaço, Serra da Mantiqueira and Serra do Mar the average medium temperature can be below 18 °C (64 °F) due to the combined effect of the latitude with the frequency of the polar currents.

In the summer, mainly in the month of January, the normal average temperatures range from 30 to 32 °C (86 to 90 °F) in the valleys of the rivers São Francisco and Jequitinhonha, in the Zona da Mata (Forest Zone) of Minas Gerais, in the coastal lowlands and to the west of the state of São Paulo.

In the winter, the normal average temperatures range from 6 to 20 °C (43 to 68 °F) with minimum absolute from −4 to 8 °C (25 to 46 °F), the lowest temperatures being at the highest elevations. Vast areas of Minas Gerais and São Paulo register occurrences of frosts, after the passage of the polar fronts.

As far as the incidence of rain is concerned, there are two areas with heavy precipitation: one following the coast and the Serra do Mar, where the rains are precipitated by the southerly currents; and the other from the west of Minas Gerais to the Municipal district of Rio de Janeiro, where the rains are brought by the Westerly system. The annual precipitation total in these areas is in excess of 1,500 mm (59.1 in). In the Serra da Mantiqueira these indexes surpass 1,750 mm (68.9 in), and at the summit of Itatiaia, 2,340 mm (92.1 in).

In the Serra do Mar, in São Paulo, it rains on the average more than 3,600 mm (141.7 in). Near Paranapiacaba and Itapanhaú maximum rainfall was measured at 4,457.8 mm (175.50 in) in one year. In the valleys of the rivers Jequitinhonha and Doce the smallest annual pluviometric indexes are recorded at around 900 mm (35.4 in).

The maximum pluviometric index of the Southeast area usually occurs in January and the minimum in July, while the dry period is usually concentrated in the winter, lasting six months in the case of the valleys of the rivers Jequitinhonha and São Francisco, to as little as two months in the Serra do Mar and Serra da Mantiqueira.

Charts of selected cities

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Belo Horizonte
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
296
 
 
28
18
 
 
188
 
 
28
19
 
 
163
 
 
28
18
 
 
61
 
 
27
17
 
 
28
 
 
26
15
 
 
15
 
 
25
13
 
 
15
 
 
24
13
 
 
13
 
 
26
14
 
 
41
 
 
27
16
 
 
124
 
 
27
17
 
 
229
 
 
27
18
 
 
320
 
 
27
18
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: [1]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
12
 
 
82
64
 
 
7.4
 
 
82
66
 
 
6.4
 
 
82
64
 
 
2.4
 
 
81
63
 
 
1.1
 
 
79
59
 
 
0.6
 
 
77
55
 
 
0.6
 
 
75
55
 
 
0.5
 
 
79
57
 
 
1.6
 
 
81
61
 
 
4.9
 
 
81
63
 
 
9
 
 
81
64
 
 
13
 
 
81
64
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Campos do Jordão
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
275
 
 
23
13
 
 
242
 
 
24
13
 
 
201
 
 
23
12
 
 
90
 
 
22
9
 
 
76
 
 
19
6
 
 
47
 
 
18
5
 
 
37
 
 
18
4
 
 
40
 
 
20
4
 
 
85
 
 
21
7
 
 
153
 
 
22
10
 
 
183
 
 
22
11
 
 
277
 
 
23
12
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: [2]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
11
 
 
73
55
 
 
9.5
 
 
75
55
 
 
7.9
 
 
73
54
 
 
3.5
 
 
72
48
 
 
3
 
 
66
43
 
 
1.9
 
 
64
41
 
 
1.5
 
 
64
39
 
 
1.6
 
 
68
39
 
 
3.3
 
 
70
45
 
 
6
 
 
72
50
 
 
7.2
 
 
72
52
 
 
11
 
 
73
54
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Campinas
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
280
 
 
30
20
 
 
216
 
 
30
20
 
 
162
 
 
30
20
 
 
59
 
 
28
18
 
 
63
 
 
26
15
 
 
35
 
 
25
13
 
 
43
 
 
25
12
 
 
23
 
 
27
14
 
 
60
 
 
28
16
 
 
124
 
 
29
18
 
 
156
 
 
29
18
 
 
204
 
 
30
19
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: [3]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
11
 
 
86
68
 
 
8.5
 
 
86
68
 
 
6.4
 
 
86
68
 
 
2.3
 
 
82
64
 
 
2.5
 
 
79
59
 
 
1.4
 
 
77
55
 
 
1.7
 
 
77
54
 
 
0.9
 
 
81
57
 
 
2.4
 
 
82
61
 
 
4.9
 
 
84
64
 
 
6.1
 
 
84
64
 
 
8
 
 
86
66
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Rio de Janeiro
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
114
 
 
29
23
 
 
104
 
 
30
23
 
 
104
 
 
29
23
 
 
137
 
 
28
22
 
 
86
 
 
27
21
 
 
81
 
 
25
19
 
 
56
 
 
26
18
 
 
51
 
 
26
19
 
 
86
 
 
25
19
 
 
89
 
 
26
20
 
 
97
 
 
27
22
 
 
170
 
 
29
22
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: [4]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
4.5
 
 
84
73
 
 
4.1
 
 
86
73
 
 
4.1
 
 
84
73
 
 
5.4
 
 
82
72
 
 
3.4
 
 
81
70
 
 
3.2
 
 
77
66
 
 
2.2
 
 
79
64
 
 
2
 
 
79
66
 
 
3.4
 
 
77
66
 
 
3.5
 
 
79
68
 
 
3.8
 
 
81
72
 
 
6.7
 
 
84
72
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
São Paulo
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
239
 
 
27
18
 
 
218
 
 
28
18
 
 
160
 
 
27
18
 
 
76
 
 
25
16
 
 
74
 
 
23
13
 
 
56
 
 
22
12
 
 
43
 
 
22
12
 
 
38
 
 
23
13
 
 
81
 
 
24
14
 
 
124
 
 
24
15
 
 
145
 
 
26
16
 
 
201
 
 
26
17
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: [5]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
9.4
 
 
81
64
 
 
8.6
 
 
82
64
 
 
6.3
 
 
81
64
 
 
3
 
 
77
61
 
 
2.9
 
 
73
55
 
 
2.2
 
 
72
54
 
 
1.7
 
 
72
54
 
 
1.5
 
 
73
55
 
 
3.2
 
 
75
57
 
 
4.9
 
 
75
59
 
 
5.7
 
 
79
61
 
 
7.9
 
 
79
63
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
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