The Climate Of Tabouk

The climate of Tabouk, in Saudi Arabia, although a desert location, is quite moderate as compared to other Saudi towns located on the Arabian Peninsula.

Tabouk is located in the extreme North West of Saudi Arabia close to the Jordanian border. It is its location which protects it from the extreme heat of the Arabian heartland and gives it quite a chill in winter.

The months from November to March have an excellent weather. The highs range from 68 to 77 F while lows range from 40 to 60 F. The coldest month at Tabouk, January, records a high of 68 F and a low of 40 F. Sometimes, in a while, it get so cold that snow may fall at times. This is due to the incursion of cold air from the nearby country of Jordan.

The precipitation is very scanty however, due to its desert location but winter season gets a little rain. Each month from November to March gets at least one seventh of an inch of precipitation and the highest precipitation received is in the month of January which is 0.25 inches. This may seem to be a very small figure but it is to be noted that other cities of Saudi Arabia located on the western side get practically no precipitation.

The summers are quite hot but moderate as compared to the Capital Riyadh and other Central Arabian Locations. The hottest month, July, records a high temperature of 100 F and a low of 73 F. If we compare it with Riyadh, for instance, the corresponding figures recorded there in July are 110 F and 81 F respectively. It is, therefore seen, that Tabouk is around 10 F cooler than other Saudi Towns in summer.

The precipitation in summer is, however practically nil and the months from June to September record almost zero rainfall. The air is exceptionally dry and the sky is cloudless. This exceptionally low relative humidity brings down the heat index to quite a comfortable level and even in the hotter months of June July and August, it rarely exceeds 95 F.

It follows from above that the city of Tabouk, although situated in a hot desert climate, records much less temperatures in summer than the other cities in Saudi Arabia. This fact combined with a decreased heat index, makes summers quite tolerable at the aforesaid location. The best season to visit is from November to March when clear blue skies and cool refreshing wind welcomes the visitor to its environs.

Source by Waqar Awan