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Weather
Read about the distinct weather you can expect in the three geographical regions of Peru; the coastal desert, the Andes and the Amazon.
THE PACIFIC COAST DESERT
Weather along the pacific coast is not what you would expect due to the presence of a cold antarctic current running up the coast of South Amerca. The cold sea waters means coastal temperature varies little during the year and is almost always spring-like, but it almost never rains and therefore the landscape is desert. This situation in which cold air clings to the soil or to the sea surface, leads to the formation of fog and low clouds especially around Lima.
In Lima & Paracas, it basically it never rains heavily but sea mist and drizzle are common from May to October; when cold mornings are followed by grey and overcast days. Temperatures rarely rise above 20°C (68°F), but the damp atmosphere gives the feeling of colder weather. During summer, from November to April, the sun often shines, at least at noon and in the afternoon, while in the early hours of the day, fog can still occur. The temperature in summer is pleasantly warm, with highs around 26 °C (79 °F).
Around Trujillo & Chiclayo, in the northern part of the country, the sea is warmer creating a hotter climate but with some tendency for showers. Days are clear and warm for most of the year, with temperatures rarely dropping below 22°C (72°F) throughout the year with a chance of some light showers from November through March.
On the beaches of Mancora enjoy an avergae of 300 days of sunshine a year. Temperates range from 24°C (76°F) to 34°C (93°F) , with a chance of showers during the first 4 months of the year.
THE ANDES
In the Andean Plateau, which hosts several modern cities but also the ruins of pre-Columbian civilizations, there is a rainy season from November to March and a dry season from April to October. Although in the transitional months of April and October, both sun and showers can be expected. In the dry season, days can be clear reaching warm temperatures in the mid-20 °C. But at night, it can drop to near freezing temperatures and frosts are common in May, June and July.
In Cusco, located at 3,400 meters (11,100 feet) above sea level, the maximum temperatures vary little throughout the year, from 19 °C (66 °F) to 21 °C (70 °F). The minimum temperatures fluctuate alot more, ranging from around 7 °C (45 °F) from November to April and close to 0 °C (34 °F) in the middle of the year. In Cusco, there is about 700 millimeters (27.5 in) of rainfall per year, almost all in the period from November to early April. The months of December to early March are particuarly wet, when daily showers are common. The nearby ruins of Machu Picchu, are located at about 2,500 meters (8,200 ft) above sea level, which is slightly lower than Cusco and surrounded by tropical could forests. Therefore average temperatures are about 5°C warmer than Cusco. But it has a heavier rainfall from November through March, when at least some rain can be expected almost every day.
On the shores of Lake Titicaca, at 3,800 meters (12,500 ft) above sea level, the climate is colder than in Cusco and from May to September there are frequent night frosts. Daytime temperatures are commonly around 17°C throughout the year but the nights are bitterly cold, going below zero from April until September. Rain tends to be limtted to showers from November through March.
Arequipa is located close to the chilean border at 2,500 meters (8,200 ft) above sea level, on the western slopes of the Andes, therefore it has a much drier climate than the rest of the Andes to the north. It can rain from January to March, but even then, it is limited to light showers. The temperature in Arequipa is mild throughout the year, with quite cold nights especially from May to September, but in general, the sun shines almost all year in Arequipa.
THE AMAZON
In the vast area of eastern Peru is occupied the Amazon Basin. The region has a tropical equatorial climate; hot and humid all year round, with frequent rainfall. The southern Amazon around Puerto Maldonado has a relatively dry period in the middle of the year, whereas the northern region around Iquitos suffers rains year round. Nights are hot, days are even hotter and the 100% humidity takes a while to get used to.
Iquitos experiences 2,850 mm (112 in) of rain fall per year, so showers are common all year. The only months when the rainfall decreases a little are July and August. The tropical rains usually occur in the form of downpours or thunderstorms in the afternoon. The temperatures in this northern part of the Amazon are constantly high all year round; day and night.
While in the southernmost part of the Amazon, in Puerto Maldonado, the least rainy season goes from May to September. But during this time of year, Friajes (or cold spells) can cause the temperatures to plumit to around 10°C (50°F) for a couple of days. Friajes commonly happen once month during the middle of the year and can give the feeling of extreme cold due to the high hummidity. But the short timespan of the friajes, means you are much more likely to experience the 30°C heat of the Amazon.