Climate

In contrast to US midwest and northern European climates, there are two distinct seasons in the cerrados: a dry season and a rainy season. The seasons change from rainy to dry in March-April and from dry to rainy in September-October.

More than 85 percent of the annual rainfall falls between October 1 and April 1. In the central western cerrados, rainfall can reach 2000 mm. (80 inches) per year, while in the northeast, annual rainfall averages 800 to 1,000 mm.(30 - 40 inches). At times, rainfall intensity can be high, reaching 80 to 100 mm. (3 to 4 inches) per hour.

Temperature are moderate, varying little from one day to the next. The greatest influence on temperature is altitude. In higher altitude areas, temperature may fall to 10C (50F). Highs in any part of the cerrados rarely exceed 35C (95F). Tornados have never been reported anywhere in the region. The climate is perhaps best characterized as: "Today is just like yesterday, and tomorrow will be just like today." It is an exceptionally desirable climate for animal production and the production of a great diversity of commercial crops.

Average rainfall is generally sufficient for commercial crop production in much of the cerrados, but short mini-droughts (veranicos) of one to four weeks may occur, especially in January and February. These dry periods during the rainy season make the production of some crops risky in the dryer areas of the cerrados. In these areas, soybeans are the dominant crop, as the soybean plant is less sensitive to veranicos than other dryland crops except perhaps cotton.