Climate zones in Lesotho, 1991 to 2020
Share of Lesotho's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 40,369 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 30,144 km²).
By major group: C (temperate) 91%, D (cold (continental)) 4.3%, B (arid) 3.6%, E (polar) 0.7%.
Cwb, subtropical highland (dry winter), is the main climate of Lesotho, covering 70% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with Cfb (temperate oceanic) next at 19%. In plain terms, subtropical highland (dry winter) means mild all year, with a dry winter. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 39% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Cwa (humid subtropical with dry winter).
How Lesotho's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 32% | 17% | Cfb +6.6 percentage points | Dwc -6.1 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 25% | 9.7% | Cwa +7.8 percentage points | Cwb -5.2 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 39% | 12% | Cwa +18.5 percentage points | Cwb -12.9 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 56% | 20% | Cwa +21.9 percentage points | Cwb -17.2 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | 71% | 70% | 65% | 57% | 53% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 13% | 19% | 17% | 12% | 3.7% |
| Dwc Subarctic with dry winter | 10% | 3.9% | 0.5% | - | - |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | - | 3.6% | 8.4% | 8.6% | 4.2% |
| Cwc Cold subtropical highland (dry winter) | 1.2% | 0.9% | 0.4% | - | - |
| Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter | - | 0.8% | 8.6% | 19% | 23% |
| ET Tundra | 3.7% | 0.7% | - | - | - |
| Dwb Warm-summer continental with dry winter | 0.8% | 0.3% | - | - | - |
| Dfc Subarctic (boreal) | 1% | - | - | - | - |
| Cfa Humid subtropical | - | - | 0.1% | 1.1% | 1.7% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | - | - | - | 1.4% | 15% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Zones found in Lesotho
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Cwb. See data sources and licences.