Rate: Cheesehead's Dream Climate

Tropic City, a large and vibrant but safe metropolis of about 1.2 million people, straddles the Tropic of Capricorn along a beautiful stretch of coast and has a tropical (Af) climate per Koppen - though with a milder precipitation distribution more commonly found in temperate climates. Inspirations included Asuncion, Perth, South Florida, Cuba, and Rio de Janeiro. Winters are mild with cool nights, while summers are very warm - though the majority of summer days are cooler than average, as the record highs come from short-lived heat spikes in the style of southern Australia.

The beach lines the city and serves as a primary social destination; its white sand will leave you breathless, as will the view as the sun sets into the ocean. The people of Tropic City love hanging out outside, having backyard barbecues, hanging out at the beach or at one of the area's many parks and nature preserves - and the beach is often loaded with beautiful young women in bikinis, people enjoying a margarita or pina colada, and people of both sexes and all ages sunbathing and feeling the warm tropical breeze. The nightlife scene is very vibrant, with rock, electronic dance, and various Hispanic and Caribbean music styles being heard well into the night. People also like to cruise around town in nifty cars from the 50s, 60s, and 70s with the windows rolled down and the stereos cranked way up, and the city's laid out well so there aren't a lot of traffic problems considering the size.

Most days are sunny and dry, though of course there are still some cloudy and rainy days. All-day drizzle is exceedingly rare, as the vast majority of the precipitation comes in the form of frontal or convective thunderstorms - most often occurring in the evening hours. Tropic City provides many a good lightning show with gusty winds and downpours - and people enjoy it, popping over to their buddy's house with the covered porch that allows for the best view, with a bucket of KFC and a six-pack of their favorite beer. The average year sees an impressive 74.8 thunder days, for the most part evenly distributed - though the most intense storms tend to happen in summer. Expect big thunderheads and tons of flickering lightning, with some stars still visible in the opposite direction - and enjoy the symphony created by the thunder and rain. For the most part, the storms last only an hour or two, but they're still a rewarding experience to have watched and enjoyed.



Even in winter, everyone walks around wearing a T-shirt and shorts, and most people do not have heat in their homes - it's simply unnecessary. Local schools and universities run according to the southern hemisphere seasons, with the school year beginning the first week of March and ending in the first half of November. Locally observed holidays include Easter, Halloween, and Christmas; in addition to Founding Day on 21 January, Thanksgiving on the last Friday in May, Remembrance Day on the second Monday in November (the "unofficial start of summer" right after school gets out), and for the folk of Irish descent, St. Patrick's Day is a big deal. Tropic City is often rated as one of the most fun, most affordable, and most livable cities in the world - and who WOULDN'T have a good time in such a tropical paradise?