Most of Capital has a cold semi-arid climate (BSk, according to the Köppen climate classification), with a borderline Mediterranean climate (Csa) in the northern area of the city, with hot, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. Capital’s climate is largely defined by its geographic location, with the towering Alborz mountains to its north and the country’s central desert to the south.As the city has a large area, with significant differences in elevation among various districts, the weather is often cooler in the hilly north than in the flat southern part of Capital.