North Africa and Southwest/Central Asia and Adjacent Oceans

TheTrue Desert—hot (BWh) climatein Africain Southwest Asia western subtropicalTrue Desert—hot (BWh) climatein Africain Atlantic Ocean Atlantic Ocean, North Africa, Southwest AsiaAsia (commonly called the Middle EastAfricaCentralEast) and adjacent waters, and Central Asia predominantly have arid (B) climates. In North Africa, Canary Current-induced stabilityand stability andSemi-arid—hot (BSh) climatein Africain Atlantic Ocean persistent, intense subsidence on the eastern side of theBermuda Bermuda-Azores HighAzores High and poleward side of the Hadley CellHadley cell creates clear skies with moderately long daylight hours in summer. Thiscontinental tropical continental tropical (cT) air massContinental tropical (cT) air mass source regionSource region supports oppressively high temperatures and suppresses precipitation, creating moisture stress and water balanceWater balance deficits year-round, even though humidity may be abundant. MostMediterranean (Cs) climatein Southwest Asia of Southwest AsiaAsia experiences northwesterly airflow from the Bermuda-Azores High and its Mediterranean extension in summer, with subsidence promoting a stable atmosphereAtmosphere, with hot, dry landscapes. However, in winters across the entire region, mid-latitude wave cyclones bringcold front cold frontsCold front that lower temperatures and perhaps produce a modicum of precipitation. Central AsiaAsia is aridArid because of the extreme continentalityContinentality, rain shadow effects, and distance from moisture sources, but its cold winters with Siberian HighSiberian High-advectedcontinental polar continental polar (cP) air massesContinental polar (cP) air mass reduce deficitsDeficit at that timeTime of year. Yet this vast region is far from uniform climatologically.