Quito's closets volcano is Pichincha, looming over the western side of the city and Quito is also the only capital in the world to be directly menaced by an active volcano. Pichincha volcano has got two summits, the closer Rucu Pichincha at 4700 metres above sea level and the higher Guagua Pichincha at 4794 metres. Guagua Pichincha is active and being monitored by volcanologists. The largest eruption occurred in 1660 when over 10 inches (25 cm) of ash covered the city. There were three minor eruptions in the 1800s. The latest eruption was recorded on October 5 1999, with a few puffs of smoke and a large amount of ash was deposited on the city. Although not devastating, the eruption caused significant disruption of activities, including closing of the international airport. It is unlikely that any serious activity will occur in the near future and the topography of the volcano is such that, even if a major eruption were to occur, lava flows would head into the almost unpopulated areas west of the volcano, sparing Quito; which lies to the east.
Weather averages for Quito Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Average high °C (°F) 18 (64) 18 (64) 18 (64) 18 (64) 18 (64) 19 (66) 19 (66) 19 (66) 20 (68) 19 (66) 19 (66) 18 (64) 19 (66) Average low °C (°F) 14 (57) 14 (57) 12 (54) 10 (50) 9 (48) 8 (46) 6 (42) 6 (42) 8 (46) 9 (48) 9 (48) 10 (50) 10 (50) Precipitation cm (inches) 11 (4) 12 (5) 15 (6) 20 (8) 17 (7) 12 (5) 4 (2) 2 (1) 2 (1) 7 (3) 12 (5) 10 (4) 120 (47) Source: Weatherbase[11] 2007
Due to its elevation and its proximity to the equator, Quito has a fairly constant cool climate year-round. The average temperature at noon is 19°C (66°F) with a normal night-time low of 10°C (50°F). The annual average temperature is 15°C (64°F). The city experiences only two seasons: dry and wet. The dry season, June through September (4 months), is referred to as summer; the wet season, October through May (8 months), is referred to as winter.
(Information From Wikipedia)
No comments:
Post a Comment