Arica features the rare, mild desert climate. Unlike many other cities with an arid climate, Arica seldom sees extreme temperatures throughout the course of the year. Arica is also known as one of the driest inhabited places on Earth, at least as measured by rainfall: average annual precipitation is 0.76 mm (0.03 inches), as measured at the airport meteorological station.Despite its lack of rainfall, humidity and cloud cover are high. With humidity levels similar to those of equatorial climates the sunshine intensity is similar to the Sahara desert regions in the Northern Hemisphere (like the Cape Verde islands). Oxford geographer Nick Middleton's book on people who live in extreme climates,Going to Extremes (ISBN 0-330-49384-1), discusses his visit to this city
