Climate zones in Puerto Rico, 1991 to 2020
Share of Puerto Rico's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 10,858 map cells used cover 98% of the country's outline (about 8,855 km²).
By major group: A (tropical) 100%, C (temperate) 0.1%.
Af, tropical rainforest, is the main climate of Puerto Rico, covering 74% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with Aw (tropical savannah) next at 15%. In plain terms, tropical rainforest means hot, wet and green every month of the year. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 8.9% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Aw (tropical savannah).
How Puerto Rico'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) | 6.7% | 1% | Aw +1.5 percentage points | Af -1.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 7.1% | 0.1% | Am +0.8 percentage points | Af -1.4 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 8.9% | 0.1% | Aw +3.5 percentage points | Af -3 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 17% | 0.1% | Aw +8.7 percentage points | Af -8.2 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Af Tropical rainforest | 76% | 74% | 73% | 71% | 66% |
| Aw Tropical savannah | 14% | 15% | 16% | 19% | 24% |
| Am Tropical monsoon | 9.3% | 10% | 11% | 10% | 9.9% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 1.1% | 0.1% | - | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Zones found in Puerto Rico
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Af. See data sources and licences.