The climate in the Middle East is pretty consistent throughout the region with only two seasons: winter and summer. Some people jokingly refer to the weather as hot and hotter.
The weather during summer
Some might say that rainfall is almost nonexistent as most Middle Eastern countries consist of semi-arid and desert terrain, but that’s not always true. Rainfall varies considerably across the Middle East and even within countries. For example, the northern part of Iran normally receives a lot of rainfall during the year while its desert regions often receive no rainfall at all for many years.
Temperatures also vary by region. Summer temperatures in the Middle East can reach up to 50 degrees Celsius or more, and even the seawater is a warm, salty soup. Dubai or Abu-Dhabi can be scorching hot during summer (which last from May to September). Due to the oppressive heat, this is also the low tourist season with cheaper hotel rates and fewer crowds around the attractions. Late summer can also be humid with sandstorms in certain countries. Head to Yemen from June to September when the southeastern monsoons bring green to the desert, otherwise the coastal beach areas are the best place to be. However, low-lying coastal regions of the Arabian Peninsula of Jordan and Iraq, and those bordering the Mediterranean Sea have much more moderate temperatures during summer and winter.
The weather during winter
Speaking of winter, and contrary to popular belief, there can be snow in the Middle East. Winter, which lasts between October and April, is considered the best time to visit the Middle East where the temperatures are pleasant with less humidity and much cooler at night-time. Average temps range from 10 degrees Celsius in the UAE to the early -20s in the coastal areas like Aqaba in Jordan. The climate conditions of these months vary greatly between the different terrains of the Middle East where winters can also be mild and wet along the Mediterranean coast, while Saudi Arabia, northern Turkey, Iraq and Iran, Syria and Jordan experience real winters with freezing temps in the mountains and even snowfall between November and March. Winter would be the ideal time to visit the desert regions or check out the month-long Dubai Shopping Festival and Dubai World Cup horse race in January.
With this being said, let’s check out some weather words in Arabic and related vocabulary.
Weather vocabulary:
| English | Transliteration | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| Weather in Arabic | Taqs | طقس |
| Climate in Arabic | Munaakh | مناخ |
| Rain in Arabic | Matar | مطر |
| Snow in Arabic | Thalj | ثلج |
| Hail in Arabic | Barad | بَرَد |
| Rainbow in Arabic | Qaws quzah | قوس قزح |
| Cloud in Arabic | Dhbaab | ضباب |
| Cold in Arabic | Baarid | بارِد |
| Hot in Arabic | Haar | حار |
| Wind in Arabic | Riyaah | رياح |
| Air in Arabic | Hawaa’ | هواء |
| Breeze in Arabic | Naseem | نسيم |
| Fog in Arabic | Dhbaab | ضباب |
| Ice in Arabic | Thalj | ثلج |
| Thunder in Arabic | Ra’id | رعد |
| Lightning in Arabic | Barq | برق |
| Storm in Arabic | Asifah | عاصفة |
| Warm in Arabic | Daafi’ | دافئ |
| Humidity in Arabic | Rutoobah | رطوبة |
| Rainy in Arabic | Maater | ماطِر |
| Sunny in Arabic | Mushmis | مشمس |
| Temperate in Arabic | Mu’tadel | معتدل |
| Cloudy in Arabic | Ghaa’im | غائم |
| Wet in Arabic | Ratib | رطب |
| Forecasting in Arabic | Tawaqu’aat | توقعات |
Following are some expressions about the weather:
| English | Trasliteration | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| What’s the weather like today? | Kayfa huwa atṭaqs alyawm? | كيف هو الطقس اليوم؟ |
| What will the weather be like tomorrow? | Kayfa sayakoon attaqs ghadan? | كيف سيكون الطقس غداً؟ |
| Nice day today, isn’t it? | Yawmun jameel , alaysa kathalik? | يوم جميل، اليس كذلك؟ |
| What awful weather! | Yaa lahu min taqsin sayiʾ | يا له من طقس سيئ |
| It’s raining | Innaha tumtir | إنها تمطر |
| It’s snowing | Athaljuo yatsaaqatu | الثلج يتساقط |
| Tomorrow it will be… | Ghadan sawfa yakoon… | …غداً سوف يكون |
| Yesterday it was sunny | Imbaarih kaan aljaw mushmiss | مبارح كان الجو مشمس |
We hope that this sparked your curiosity about the very diverse weather in the Middle East and hopefully we helped you be more prepared when visiting an Arab country any time of year!
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