Climate - Israel

Israel, a small country in western Asia, facing the Mediterranean to the west and the Red Sea to the south, has a Mediterranean climate on the west coast, temperate in the hills of the interior, and desert in the flat areas of the east and the south.
The climate in Israel is characterized by hot, sunny summers and by a long period of sunshine, with clear skies from May to September. The rains (where they occur) are concentrated from November to March.

Index

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• Mediterranean coast - Tel Aviv
• Inland areas - Jerusalem, Tiberias
• South - Eilat
• When to go
• What to pack

Mediterranean coast

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Along the west coast (see Tel Aviv, Haifa, Netanya), the climate is Mediterranean, with very mild, rainy winters and hot, sunny summers, during which the air is humid but tempered the breeze.

Tel Aviv

In Tel Aviv, the average temperature ranges from 13 °C (56 °F) in January to about 28 °C (82.5 °F) in July and August.
Winter is very mild, but sometimes there can be periods a bit cold and windy. In February 1992, there was a day with a maximum of 7 °C (44.5 °F). In January 2008, the temperature dropped to 0 °C (32 °F).
Heat waves can occur especially in the period from April to June, when the wind from the Egyptian desert can raise the temperature to around 40 °C (104 °F) even on the coast.
Here are the average temperatures at Ben-Gurion airport.

Rainfall, concentrated in the winter months, amounts to around 580 millimeters (23 inches) per annum, and it is quite abundant from December to February. Here is the average precipitation.

The sun in Tel Aviv often shines even in winter, except for the periods of bad weather, while in the long dry season, the sky is normally clear. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

On the Mediterranean coast, the sea is warm enough for swimming from June to November.

Inland areas

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In the interior, the climate is more arid, but also more continental, due to the greater distance from the sea as well as the altitude. Jerusalem is located at 700 meters (2,300 feet) above sea level, Bethlehem, in the West Bank, at almost 800 meters (2,600 feet), while Nazareth is located at a lower altitude, around 300/500 meters (1,000/1,600 feet).
In these inland areas, winter is still fairly mild, but there can be intrusions of cold air masses from Russiam which can even bring snow in January and February (and sometimes also in early March), usually above 600 meters (2,000 feet).
During summer, the air in this area is dry, and the heat is usually tolerable, but the sun hits hard; moreover, hot air masses from the Egyptian desert can sometimes bring some days with scorching heat even here.
The highest peak in Israel is Mount Meron, 1,208 meters (3,963 feet) high, located in the north, in the Upper Galilee. However, outside of the Israeli territory (in the Golan Heights) we find Mount Hermon, on the border between Syria and Lebanon but controlled by Israel, which reaches 2,814 mt (9,232 ft).

Jerusalem

In Jerusalem, the average temperature ranges from 9.5 °C (49 °F) in January to 25 °C (77 °F) in August. Normally the climate is mild, however, in winter there can be cold spells with snow, while in summer, the temperature can reach 38/39 °C (100/102 °F) when the wind blows from the desert.
Here are the average temperatures.

Annual precipitation is around 550 mm (21.5 in), concentrated in the cold half of the year, while it almost never rains from May to mid-October. Here is the average precipitation.

In Jerusalem too, the sun frequently shines in winter, while it almost always shines from May to September, when clear skies are the norm.



Further to the east, in the Jordan valley, where the altitude goes even below sea level (from Lake Tiberias to the Dead Sea), winter is mild, but summer is definitely hot.

Tiberias

Here are the average temperatures in Tiberias, on the shores of the lake of the same name (or Sea of Galilee).

In Tiberias, an average of 435 millimeters (17 inches) of rain falls each year, concentrated, as usual, in the winter months.

Continuing south and heading towards the Dead Sea, precipitation becomes scarcer, and the landscape, apart from the areas where the river's waters are used to irrigate fields, is semi-desert.

South

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Further to the south, in the areas bordering the Sinai Peninsula and the Red Sea, we find the Negev Desert, which has mild winters and very hot summers.

Eilat

In winter, Eilat is the mildest city in Israel, however, at night it can get a little cold, with lows of around 5 °C (41 °F). In January 2008, the temperature dropped to 2 °C (35.5 °F). The average maximum in July and August is 40/41 °C (104/105 °F), but it can sometimes exceed 45 °C (113 °F). So, unlike on the Mediterranean coast, summer is not the best time for a beach holiday on the Red Sea Coast.

In Eilat, the rainfall is very poor, since it doesn't even reach 50 millimeters (2 inches) per year.

In Eilat, the sun shines regularly throughout the year, but some cloud banks can occasionally reach the area even in summer.

Near Eilat, the Red Sea is a bit cool for swimming in winter, while it is pleasantly warm in the summer months.

When to go

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The best times to visit Israel are spring and autumn, and in particular, the months of April, May and October. Easter is therefore usually a good time to visit the sites of historical and religious interest in the country.

For a beach holiday, on the Mediterranean coast, the warm and sunny season is long and runs from mid-May to mid-October, although the sea in May is still a bit cool.
The Red Sea is warmer, but in summer the heat is too intense for sunbathing, especially from June to September, while in winter, from December to February, pleasant days alternate with others that can be a bit cold: so, the best periods for a beach holiday here are the month of April, and from mid-October to mid-November.

What to pack

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In winter. In Jerusalem and inland hills, bring warm clothes, a jacket, a hat, a raincoat or umbrella, a scarf for the wind, and hiking shoes. In the Jordan Valley and Eilat, bring spring/autumn clothes, a shirt for the day, a jacket and a sweater, and an umbrella for the area north of the Dead Sea. In Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean coast, bring spring/autumn clothes, a sweater and a jacket, and a raincoat or umbrella.

In summer. In Jerusalem and inland hills, bring light clothes, a sun hat, a sweatshirt for the evening, a scarf for the wind-borne sand and dust, and hiking shoes. In the Jordan valley and Eilat, bring lightweight clothing of natural fibers, and a desert turban. In Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean coast, bring light clothing, and a light sweatshirt for the evening.
When going to the reef, you can bring snorkeling equipment, including water shoes or rubber-soled shoes.

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