Mediterranean Climate
The Mediterranean climate is a special type of climate that describes a regime of hot summer drought and winter rain in the mid-latitudes, north of the subtropical climate zone. This climate occurs most noticeably in the regions around the Mediterranean, from where the climate gets its name, but also in coastal areas of California, South Africa and southern parts of Australia.
In summer, the high pressure belts of the subtropics drift northwards in the Northern Hemisphere (during May to August), southwards in the Southern Hemisphere (during November to February). They are coincident with substantially higher temperatures and little rainfall. During the winter, the high-pressure belts drift back towards the equator, and the weather becomes more dominated by the rain-bearing low-pressure depressions. Whilst usually mild, such areas can experience cold snaps when exposed to the icy winds of the large continental interiors, where temperatures can drop to -40°C in the extreme continental climates.
Continental Climate
Continentality is a measure of the degree to which the climate of a region typifies that of the interior of a large landmass. Such regions usually experience hot summers and colder winters, being far away from the moderating influence of the ocean, which keeps climates milder in winter and cooler in summer. This is because soil and rock have a much lower heat capacity than water, and therefore gain and lose heat much more quickly. Continental climates are often found to be relatively dry. Most of the moisture carried by air masses originating over ocean regions far away is lost as rainfall earlier in its journey.
Regions of the Earth that have continental climates include Siberia and central Russia, and much of North America. Siberia, Canada and the northern states of the US in particular can exhibit very large differences between summertime and wintertime average temperature of up to 40°C. This compares to the more maritime climate of the UK, where the annual average temperature range is only 10°C.
Air masses that originate from continental interiors sometimes influence continental fringes that usually experience maritime climates. In the UK, continental polar air in winter is very cold and temperatures associated with this air stream are usually well below average. The air mass is basically very dry and stable but a track over the central part of the North Sea supplies sufficient heat and moisture to cause showers, often in the form of snow, over eastern England and Scotland. During summer, the airflow is usually warmer, since even northern parts of Europe experience high temperatures during this time of year.
Maritime Climate
Oceanicity is a measure of the degree to which the climate of a region is influenced by a maritime airflow from the oceans. In contrast to continental climates, maritime climates experience generally cool summers and mild winters, with a much smaller annual temperature range. This is because water has a much higher heat capacity than soil and rock. Seawater takes a long time to warm up in summer, but once heated it retains its energy long after the surrounding land has cooled down, helping to moderate the climate. Maritime climates generally are fairly humid, accompanied by considerable amounts of precipitation, since the main moisture source is not very far away.
The British Isles experiences a typically maritime climate, with prevailing southwesterly winds from the Atlantic Ocean. The maritime air masses that influence this part of the world are particularly mild on account of the warming influence of the Gulf Stream. The annual average temperature range in the UK is only about 10°C. Although the west coasts of Canada and Alaska experience maritime climates, the absence of an equally significant warm Pacific current in the mid latitudes means that these regions are generally colder in winter, with more precipitation falling as snow.
Task: Read the text, after that , you have to choose diferences and similarities between the three climates
You can use this table:
Diferences
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Similarities
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Mediterranean Climate
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Continental Climate
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Maritime Climate
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