The effect of factors affecting rainfall on places in SA Flashcards
The effect of latitude on rainfall in South Africa
South Africa’s latitude affects the amount of rain and the season in which it falls.
South Africa extends from about 22° to about 34° south.
You will see that these are latitudes in which air mainly sinks, and so annual rainfall is not very high over most of the country.
The sinking air is strongest in winter.
In summer, when it is hot, the air is better able to rise and therefore most of South Africa receives rain in summer.
However, the southern part of the Western Cape is affected by the weather systems that move north from south of the country in winter. As a result, this part of the country gets rain in winter.
The effect of relief on rainfall
The mountains in the southern Cape and the escarpment from the barrier to winds blowing from the sea to the plateau.
Example: Mountain range between Beaufort-Wes & George
You can see that George gets much more rain than Beaufort West.
Clearly Beaufort West is in the rain shadow on the leeward side of the mountains, while George, on the windward side, gets rain.
The effect of ocean currents on rainfall
The cold current on the west coast and the warm current on the east coast suggest that less rain falls along the west coast than along the east coast.
The rainfall figures for Port Nolloth and Durban prove this. Durban receives 1038 mm of rain per year while Port Nolloth receives only 69 mm.
