Climate of Muscat
24°00′N 57°00′E / 24.000°N 57.000°E
The climate of Muscat features a hot, arid climate with long and very hot summers and mild winters. Annual rainfall in Muscat is about 100 mm (4 in), falling mostly from December to April. In general, precipitation is scarce in Muscat with several months, on average, seeing only a trace of rainfall. The climate is very hot, with temperatures reaching as high as 49 °C (120 °F) in the summer. For sightseeing, the best time to visit Muscat is from December to March as the temperatures are moderate and pleasant, making it easy to move around. Between mid-March and October, travel is very exhausting with the average temperature between 31 °C to 38 °C and sunburn and dehydration are possible.[1]
| Climate data for Muscat | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 34.6 (94.3) |
38.2 (100.8) |
41.5 (106.7) |
44.9 (112.8) |
48.3 (118.9) |
48.5 (119.3) |
49.1 (120.4) |
49.2 (120.6) |
47.2 (117.0) |
43.6 (110.5) |
39.4 (102.9) |
37.8 (100.0) |
49.2 (120.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 25.5 (77.9) |
26.1 (79.0) |
29.8 (85.6) |
34.7 (94.5) |
39.5 (103.1) |
40.4 (104.7) |
38.6 (101.5) |
36.2 (97.2) |
36.3 (97.3) |
35.0 (95.0) |
30.5 (86.9) |
27.1 (80.8) |
33.3 (92.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 21.3 (70.3) |
21.9 (71.4) |
25.2 (77.4) |
29.8 (85.6) |
34.2 (93.6) |
35.2 (95.4) |
34.3 (93.7) |
32.0 (89.6) |
31.4 (88.5) |
29.7 (85.5) |
25.7 (78.3) |
22.6 (72.7) |
28.6 (83.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17.3 (63.1) |
17.6 (63.7) |
20.7 (69.3) |
24.7 (76.5) |
29.1 (84.4) |
30.6 (87.1) |
30.4 (86.7) |
28.4 (83.1) |
27.5 (81.5) |
24.9 (76.8) |
20.9 (69.6) |
18.9 (66.0) |
24.3 (75.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 1.6 (34.9) |
2.3 (36.1) |
7.0 (44.6) |
10.3 (50.5) |
17.2 (63.0) |
21.6 (70.9) |
23.5 (74.3) |
21.3 (70.3) |
19.0 (66.2) |
14.3 (57.7) |
9.4 (48.9) |
4.5 (40.1) |
1.6 (34.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 12.8 (0.50) |
24.5 (0.96) |
15.9 (0.63) |
17.1 (0.67) |
7.0 (0.28) |
0.9 (0.04) |
0.2 (0.01) |
0.8 (0.03) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.0 (0.04) |
6.8 (0.27) |
13.3 (0.52) |
100.3 (3.95) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 63 | 64 | 58 | 45 | 42 | 49 | 60 | 67 | 63 | 55 | 60 | 65 | 58 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 268.6 | 244.8 | 278.3 | 292.5 | 347.4 | 325.7 | 277.7 | 278.6 | 303.9 | 316.9 | 291.9 | 267.0 | 3,493.3 |
| Source: NOAA (1961–1990) [2] | |||||||||||||
Factors
Muscat being located in the Arabian peninsula features long and very hot summers similar to that of any Middle Eastern country. Rainfall in the city is very rare, mostly falling during winter months.
- Shamal winds occur in Muscat during summer months. They are very dusty and remain at peak in the morning but decrease at night.[3]
- Sandstorm or Dust storm are phenomenon which affect Muscat rarely during summer months.[4][5]
- Westerly winds bring winter showers to many parts of Oman including Muscat, coming from the Mediterranean or North Africa.[6]
- The Southwest Monsoon only affects the Dhofar region of Oman where light rainfall occurs but upper parts of Oman including Muscat remain dry during this period.
Extreme weather events
The most extreme weather events in Oman are tropical storms that form in the Arabian sea. Following is the list of tropical storms that affected Oman, including Muscat, during the 21st century.
- In 2002, a cyclonic storm hit the Dhofar region of Oman.
- In 2007, a category 5 Cyclone Gonu caused squally winds and rains to the city of Muscat.[7]
- In 2010, a category 4 Cyclone Phet brought massive flooding to Muscat during early June.[8]
References
- ^ "AsiaRooms | LateRooms - Last Minute Hotel Deals & Cheap Hotels". asiarooms.com. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
- ^ "Seeb Climate Normals 1961-1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
- ^ El-Baz, F.; Makharita, R.M. (1994). The Gulf War and the Environment. Gordon and Breach Science Publishers. p. 31. ISBN 9782881246494. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
- ^ "Scoonpooh's Travel Blog: Salalah, Oman - July 3, 2010". travelpod.com. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
- ^ "Oman Tribune - the edge of knowledge". omantribune.com. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
- ^ "BBC - Weather Centre - World Weather - Country Guides - Saudi Arabia". web.archive.org. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
- ^ "WebCite query result". webcitation.org. Archived from the original on April 15, 2010. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
{{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Kim Kelaita. "Cyclone Phet batters coastal Oman". CNN. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
