Strange city has no rain for 600 years but trees are very green, people still live well
Lima is the capital of the Republic of Peru, known for its strong Spanish culture, reflected in its many unique Catholic structures, including the 16th-century cathedral and the National University of Saint Marcos. The city covers an area of 804.3 km2 and has a population of 8 million, accounting for two-thirds of the total population of Peru. Lima is an important cultural, industrial, financial and transportation center in Peru.
If we don’t mention the climate, Lima would be just a normal city, but the climate is the most special thing about this land because it doesn’t rain all year round but never becomes dry. Although it is located on the coast, this city has not had rain for 600 years.
In Lima, rainfall is so low, only about 10-15mm per year, it is also known as the "city without rain". This figure is even less than a fraction of the average rainfall in the Sahara Desert - one of the driest lands in the world.
For 600 years, Lima has not had lightning, ice, snow or major storms. In this “city without rain”, people do not need to build sewers on the streets and many houses do not even have roofs. This is due to the characteristics of Lima’s climate, which has little rain throughout the year and mild weather. In addition, umbrellas and raincoats are rarely used, many locals have never seen rain in their lives.
So how do more than 8 million people living in the city cope with the lack of rain?
According to meteorologists, for 600 years, the city has not had rain due to its geographical features. Lima is located mainly on the eastern slopes of the Andes - the highest mountains in South America. Here, the air flow sinks, the wind direction basically blows parallel to the sea level. The air near the coast touches the cold water surface, is blocked by the cold air flow and cannot condense into cumulonimbus clouds. Therefore, rain cannot appear and the water vapor only forms fog. This explains why Lima is not dry but has high humidity due to the large amount of water vapor.
The “rain” scene in Lima is also very unique. The rain does not fall in drops or gusts, but instead is just a thick layer of fog that covers the entire city, condensing on the wet ground.
Although there is no rain, the climate here is cool all year round. The coldest temperature is only about 16 degrees Celsius, while the hottest temperature does not exceed 23 degrees Celsius, all four seasons are like spring.
To ensure a source of water for living, the community has taken advantage of water from the Aprikh River, which is formed by the melting of snow in the Andes Mountains. In addition, near the sea, the Remark River flows through, so the city also has an abundant source of underground water, without water shortages or droughts. Not only ensuring water for daily life, the water source also provides a lush living environment for vegetation. Therefore, if you have the opportunity to come to Lima, visitors can rest assured without having to bring raincoats or umbrellas.
