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Oman Climate
With the exception of Dhofar region, which has a light
monsoon climate and receives cool winds from the Indian
Ocean,
the climate of Oman is extremely hot and dry most of the
year.
Summer begins in mid-April and lasts until October. The
highest
temperatures are registered in the interior, where
readings of
more than 50° C in the shade are common. On the Al Batinah
plain,
summer temperatures seldom exceed 46° C, but, because of
the low
elevation, the humidity may be as high as 90 percent. The
mean
summer temperature in Muscat is 33° C, but the
gharbi
(literally, western), a strong wind that blows from the
Rub al
Khali, can raise temperatures from the towns on the Gulf
of Oman
by 6° C to 10° C. Winter temperatures are mild and
pleasant,
ranging between 15° C and 23° C.
Precipitation on the coasts and on the interior plains
ranges
from twenty to 100 millimeters a year and falls during
mid- and
late winter. Rainfall in the mountains, particularly over
Al
Jabal al Akhdar, is much higher and may reach 700
millimeters.
Because the plateau of Al Jabal al Akhdar is porous
limestone,
rainfall seeps quickly through it, and the vegetation,
which
might be expected to be more lush, is meager. However, a
huge
reservoir under the plateau provides springs for low-lying
areas.
In addition, an enormous wadi channels water to these
valleys,
making the area agriculturally productive in years of good
rainfall. Dhofar, benefiting from a southwest monsoon
between
June and September, receives heavier rainfall and has
constantly
running streams, which make the region Oman's most fertile
area.
Data as of January 1993
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