The Climate of
Qatar
Texas A&M University at Qatar
Climate Map
Climate map of Qatar
What is the climate of Qatar like?
Qatar is a small Arab country consists of a low-lying peninsula on the north coast of Saudi Arabia. It is surrounded by the waters of the Gulf on three sides.
Qatar has a desert climate similar to that of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Mean temperatures in July are 36°C (97°F), dropping to 18°C (64°F) in winter. It is very hot and rainless from May until September, with occasional showery rain during the rest of the year.
The long summer (June through September) is characterized by intense heat and alternating dryness and humidity. The average high temperatures between May and September exceed 40°C (104°F) and often approach 45°C (113°F). Summers are often unpleasantly hot with some danger of heat exhaustion. Conditions on the coast are made even more unpleasant by the high humidity which more than cancels the slightly lower temperatures.
Winter temperatures are mild to warm and the weather is then generally sunny and pleasant. Temperatures are moderate from November through March, and average temperatures fall to 18°C (64°F), which is relatively cool for the latitude. The climate for Doha is representative of conditions throughout the year in Qatar.
Rainfall is negligible, averaging less than 80 millimeters (3 inches) a year. Most of the rainfall occurs during the winter months, between November and March, and falling in brief, sometimes heavy storms that often flood the small ravines and the usually dry wadis. Sudden, violent dust storms occasionally descend on the peninsula, blotting out the sun, causing wind damage, and momentarily disrupting transport and other services.
| Climate data for Doha (1962–2013) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 22.0 (71.6) | 23.4 (74.1) | 27.3 (81.1) | 32.5 (90.5) | 38.8 (101.8) | 41.6 (106.9) | 41.9 (107.4) | 40.9 (105.6) | 38.9 (102.0) | 35.4 (95.7) | 29.6 (85.3) | 24.4 (75.9) | 33.1 (91.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 17.8 (64.0) | 18.9 (66.0) | 22.3 (72.1) | 27.1 (80.8) | 32.5 (90.5) | 35.1 (95.2) | 36.1 (97.0) | 35.5 (95.9) | 33.3 (91.9) | 30.0 (86.0) | 25.0 (77.0) | 20.0 (68.0) | 27.8 (82.0) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 13.5 (56.3) | 14.4 (57.9) | 17.3 (63.1) | 21.4 (70.5) | 26.1 (79.0) | 28.5 (83.3) | 30.2 (86.4) | 30.0 (86.0) | 27.7 (81.9) | 24.6 (76.3) | 20.4 (68.7) | 15.6 (60.1) | 22.5 (72.5) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 13.2 (0.52) | 17.1 (0.67) | 16.1 (0.63) | 8.7 (0.34) | 3.6 (0.14) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 1.1 (0.04) | 3.3 (0.13) | 12.1 (0.48) | 75.2 (2.95) |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
References
- E. A. Pearce, Charles Gordon Smith, (1990) The Hutchinson World Weather Guide, John Murray Press. ISBN 1859863426
- Timothy L. Gall, (ed.), (2003), Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, Eleventh Edition, Thomson Gale
- Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, (1994), Persian Gulf states: country studies. Claitor's Pub. Division. ISBN 0844407933
- Hugh Chisholm, (ed.), (1911), Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh edition, Cambridge University Press
The Climate of
Qatar
In summary:
Qatar has a desert climate with extremely hot and dry summers, from May to October, and mild winters. Mean temperatures in June are 36°C (97°F), dropping to 18°C (64°F) in winter.
Average annual rainfall is less than 80 millimeters (3 inches) falling on isolated days mostly between October to March.