Köppen-Geiger climate classification · arid

BWh — Hot desert

Climate: Very low precipitation and high evaporation; hot.
Growing period: Rainfed cropping is generally not viable; agriculture depends on irrigation.
Soils & vegetation: Aridisols; sparse vegetation, salinity risk under irrigation.
Agricultural relevance: Irrigated dates, wheat, and horticulture where water is available; otherwise pastoral.
Where it occurs: Sahara, Arabian Peninsula, interior Australia.
Classification: Köppen-Geiger (Kottek et al. 2006; Beck et al. 2018)

Limitations

Zone boundaries are climatological averages; local microclimate, elevation, and soils vary within a zone.
Membership in a broad zone does not by itself indicate crop suitability or a recommendation.

This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.