Sandwiched between two huge and populous nations: China to the north and India to the south, the landlocked Kingdom of Bhutan is crossed on its northern edge by the vast Himalayan mountain range. Indeed, its highest point, Gangkhar Puensum, is the highest unclimbed mountain in the world, at 7,570 metres (almost 25,000ft) above sea level.
As a result of the country’s topography, where the altitude rises gradually from south to north, Bhutan has three distinct climate zones. In the southern lowlands, near the border with India, the climate is subtropical, with mild winters and temperatures rarely dropping into single figures and very hot summers, peaking from April through to September at about 30C to 32C.
In the hilly centre of the country, winters can be cold, while summers are warm and wet, especially during the summer monsoon; though some sheltered valleys escape the worst of the rains.
Finally, at locations above 2,000 metres (6,500ft), such as the country’s largest city and capital, Thimphu, mean temperatures are about 5C in January, but can drop below freezing; but then rise to the low 20Cs in the summer months. Winters can bring snowfalls, while annual rainfall is about 1,400mm (55in) – again, because of the heavy rainfall during the summer monsoon.
In the mountainous north, snow lies all year round on the highest peaks, which are often shrouded in layers of cloud.
