The garúa and Lima's climate: why it is so grey

Lima has one of the most unusual climates in the world: despite sitting in a desert zone, it spends much of the year under grey skies. The cause is the garúa.

What the garúa is

The garúa is a very fine drizzle and low mist, typical of the Lima winter (May to November). The cold Humboldt current chills the coastal air and forms a persistent cloud layer, with high humidity but almost no real rain.

The rest of the year

In summer (December to March) the skies clear, the temperature rises and the sun returns. So in Lima, more than rain, it is worth watching the cloud cover, humidity and the feels-like temperature.